This year, the UA Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law hosted the inaugural Bowen Awards, honoring 2017 recipients of Top Papers, Dean’s Certificates of Public Service, Student Success Teams of the Year, Dean’s Fellow of the Year, Student Organization of the Year, and Professional Mentor of the Year.
The 2017 Professional Mentor of the Year is the Honorable Morgan “Chip” Welch (’75).
Judge Welch has been part of the Professional Mentor Program for several years and is always enthusiastic about participating in events at Bowen (e.g., First Week, which welcomes new students each fall semester).
Welch is passionate about connecting students with the “right” mentor based on their specific interests and works with Diana Snyder, the Assistant Dean of Career Services at the law school, to make sure that happens. He also takes on multiple mentees each year, and all his mentees have exceptional experiences. He even gets their requirements done early so that he can have time/room to take on more mentees.
“Judge Welch is an excellent example of how judges and lawyers in the community can work with students to strengthen career satisfaction and the legal profession,” said Bowen Dean John DiPippa. “His enthusiasm for students and for his legal career are two reasons he’s successful as a mentor, and why the program is successful as a whole.”
Since 2013, the law school’s Professional Mentoring Program has matched first-year students with Bowen alumni who practice in areas that interest the student. Mentors work with students to develop career plans, revise their resumes, and design 11 hours of job shadowing experiences.
