William H. Bowen School of Law
Assistant Professor of Clinical Legal Education
Ms. Suzanne Penn is an assistant professor of clinical legal education at the William H. Bowen School of Law. Penn has provided life-changing legal services to underrepresented Arkansas for years.
In 2014, Penn suggested the idea of creating a clinical experience for law students in the Delta region of Arkansas, which has long been underserved by attorneys and is home to many individuals unable to afford an attorney even if one was available. The Delta project consists of two different courses: The Delta Experience course and the Delta Clinic course. The Delta Experience course is a two-week, two-credit summer intersession course open to all students who have completed their first year.
During the first week of the course, students learn about Arkansas divorce law and requirements for process in divorce proceedings and the history of the Arkansas Delta. Students also prepare teaching materials to use and share with low-income citizens. In the second week of the course, Penn and her students travel to the Delta to educate low-income citizens about grounds for divorce and what is necessary to obtain one without attorney representation. There they conduct client interviews, perform fact investigations related to case success, prepare divorce complaints, motions for fee waivers for clients, and appear in courts as needed to represent their clients and also observe sessions of the courts. The Delta Project exemplifies Bowen’s mission of access to justice and public service and Penn’s passion for public service has been passed onto students who participate.
Penn received a J.D. from Tulane University School of Law and a bachelor’s degree with honors from Hendrix College.