Bowen Law Celebrates Fall 2025 Graduates with Hooding Ceremony and Keynote from Arkansas Court of Appeals Judge
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — The UA Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law honored its Fall 2025 Juris Doctor graduates during a hooding ceremony held Friday, Dec. 12, in the school’s Friday Courtroom. The event marked a milestone for the graduates, their families, and the Bowen community.
Dean Colin Crawford opened the ceremony by reflecting on the perseverance shown by the graduating class. Many had completed their degrees through Bowen’s part-time evening program while balancing full-time jobs and other responsibilities, a commitment Crawford described as “very special” to Bowen’s faculty and staff. “Most of these students have been laboring at this for at least four years while also holding a full-time job,” he said.
Judge Wendy Scholtens Wood of the Arkansas Court of Appeals delivered the keynote address. A 1996 Bowen alumna and accomplished attorney, Judge Wood offered graduates heartfelt advice rooted in both personal experience and the collective wisdom of her peers. In preparing her remarks, she consulted ten of her former classmates, now serving across sectors including public defense, nonprofit leadership, the judiciary, and private practice.
Her classmates included a federal magistrate judge, a venture capitalist, a nonprofit executive director, and attorneys in government and private roles. Wood emphasized civility as essential in Arkansas’s close-knit legal community, urged graduates to seek mentors and stay curious, and reminded them to prioritize personal well-being alongside professional achievement.
“As you begin your legal careers, I hope the advice from my class to yours serves you well,” she said. “Play the long game. Ask for help. Find mentors. And don’t be so focused on the pursuit of success that you sacrifice your health or your family.”
Special guests at the ceremony included Chief Judge Phyllis M. Jones ’97 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern and Western Districts of Arkansas, who was joined by her judicial clerk, Louis Houser ’25; and Paul Wood ’96, husband of keynote speaker Judge Wendy Wood.
A reception followed the ceremony in the Law Library. Graduates also participated in UA Little Rock’s university-wide commencement exercises on Saturday, Dec. 13.
Fall 2025 Bowen School of Law Graduates
Juris Doctor
- Samuel Patrick Bell
- Kristen Mary Corley
- Christina Marie Doncell, magna cum laude
- James Daniel French II
- Sonora Faye Gillespie
- James Thomas Herrod
- Sarah Khatib
- Elizabeth Jayne Kimble
- April Rene Muhammad
- Natalie Christine Rachel
- Kirsten Richey
- Johndrea Earlisha Tatum
- Verenice Perez Taylor, summa cum laude
- Mark Steven Young
The ceremony reflected Bowen’s mission to prepare students for meaningful legal careers grounded in public service, professionalism, and access to justice. As these graduates step into their legal careers, they carry forward that mission into courtrooms and communities across Arkansas and beyond.