UA Little Rock, William H. Bowen School of Law held its 11th annual alumni awards luncheon Friday, October 13, honoring three notable alumni for their contributions to the legal community, their commitment to public service, and the impact of their leadership within the state and beyond.
“In my first year as dean, it is an honor to be able to greet the Bowen community at the most important alumni event of the fall semester and to be able to celebrate our three remarkable honorees,” said Dean Colin Crawford.
Kevin A. Crass received the Distinguished Alumnus award, the highest honor awarded to an alum by the Bowen School of Law. Crass is a partner in the Litigation Practice Group with Arkansas’s largest law firm, Friday, Eldredge & Clark, LLP. He focuses his practice on significant, complex business litigation in federal and state courts, and he has also served as personal counsel to several of the State’s constitutional officers. Crass currently serves on the UA Board of Trustees, among several other important community involvements.
Judge Amy Dunn Johnson (’02) received the Outstanding Alumna in Public Service Award. Johnson presides as a family judge for the 6th Judicial Circuit Court. Prior to her election in 2020, Judge Johnson was the Executive Director of the Arkansas Access to Justice Commission, which exists to provide equal access to justice in civil cases for all Arkansans. She also served as the CEO of the Arkansas Access to Justice Foundation and the Arkansas Interest on Lawyers’ Trust Accounts (IOLTA) program.
Cody McKinney (’21) received the Emerging Young Alumni Award. McKinney is a Lieutenant in the United States Coast Guard serving as a staff attorney with the Coast Guard Office of the Judge Advocate General (JAG). During his time at Bowen, McKinney served in the mediation clinic and as an editor at both of the school’s law journals, among other activities.
