Arnold Lecture Brings Celebrated Legal Scholars to Discuss Executive Power
The UA Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law will host the 2026 Arnold Lecture and Symposium: The Reach and Limits of Executive Power, on Tuesday, March 10, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts. The event will begin with check-in and opening reception at 5 p.m., followed by a welcome and keynote conversation at 5:30 p.m. featuring two of the most distinguished constitutional scholars in the United States.
This year’s lecture brings together Professor John Yoo of the University of California at Berkeley and Professor Vikram Amar of the University of California, Davis, for an in-depth discussion on the scope of executive authority in the American legal system. Both are widely published legal thinkers whose perspectives offer valuable insights into the evolving balance of powers between the executive branch, Congress and the courts.
“This lecture provides a timely forum for informed discussion on the constitutional boundaries of executive power,” said Colin Crawford, dean of the William H. Bowen School of Law. “By hosting legal scholars with contrasting ideological and political perspectives, we aim to foster thoughtful dialogue that reflects Bowen’s commitment to public service, professionalism and legal understanding.”
About the Speakers
John Yoo is the Emanuel Heller Professor of Law at the University of California, Berkeley, and a nonresident senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. He is also a distinguished visiting professor at the University of Texas at Austin’s School of Civic Leadership and a senior fellow at its Civitas Institute. A former law clerk to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, Yoo served in the U.S. Department of Justice on 9/11 and has worked in all three branches of government. He has authored more than 100 academic articles and numerous books and is a frequent contributor to major national publications such as the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and the Washington Post.
Vikram Amar is the Daniel J. Dykstra Endowed Chair and Distinguished Professor of Law at UC Davis School of Law. He previously served as dean of the University of Illinois College of Law and has held faculty positions at Berkeley, UCLA, and Northwestern, among others. Amar clerked for Justice Harry A. Blackmun of the U.S. Supreme Court and is a widely cited scholar in constitutional law, federal courts and civil procedure. He is a contributing columnist for Justia and SCOTUSblog, and a co-author of leading legal treatises and casebooks.
About the Arnold Lecture
The Arnold Lecture series, an occasional event hosted by the UA Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law, honors the late Judge Richard Arnold and Judge Morris “Buzz” Arnold, distinguished Arkansas jurists appointed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. In past years, the Arnold Lecture has welcomed U.S. Supreme Court justices and other celebrated legal scholars to Arkansas to examine issues central to the rule of law and democratic governance.
This event is free and open to the public, but seating is limited. Reserve your seat at https://arnoldlectureandsymposium.rsvpify.com.