Local attorney J. Leon Johnson helped students and faculty of UALR’s William H. Bowen School of Law welcome 24 undergraduates to the Pre-Law Undergraduate Scholars (PLUS) program Monday evening.

The four week program helps to better prepare students from disadvantaged backgrounds for the realities of law school and help them to be more competitive law school applicants. Students from groups historically underrepresented in the legal profession are encouraged to apply; including but not limited to ethnic minorities, low-income, first generation, or those from educationally disadvantaged communities.

Johnson, whose practice concentrates in the area of criminal defense and general litigation, spoke to the students at the opening dinner. An adjunct professor of law at the Bowen School, Johnson is a frequent speaker for continuing legal education seminars. He has also served as special justice of the Arkansas Supreme Court, as Circuit Court Judge, and as president of the W. Harold Flowers Law Society. Currently, he serves as parliamentarian of the Arkansas Bar Association.

Other activities scheduled for PLUS scholars include watching Arkansas Supreme Court oral arguments, attending the Arkansas Bar Association annual meeting, visiting local trial courts, shadowing a practicing attorney, and touring the Little Rock Central High museum.