The University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law has been named a National Jurist preLaw best value law school for the sixth consecutive year.

In ranking schools, preLaw considers tuition, living expenses, graduate debt, employment rates, and two-year bar pass rates.  

“We’re glad to be on the list again,” said Bowen Dean Michael Hunter Schwartz.

While Bowen has been recognized as a Top 10 school for lowest alumni debt and a Top 10 in lowest tuition rates, it has also been recognized for innovative programming and has announced several initiatives — local, national, and international.

Lawyering skills classes and active mentoring programming help make sure students graduate with competitive experience and desirable soft skills, while a concurrent bar preparation program is designed to help students improve their chances on the bar exam.

This year, National Jurist also named Bowen a best practical training law school, and preLaw named it a best law school for public service.

“From their first week experience through their experiential course requirement, Bowen students live the school’s mission of access to justice and public service,” Schwartz said. “They perform an average of 20,000 hours of public service each year.”

This fall, Bowen saw a striking 23 percent increase in enrollment over last year. It was one of only 15 schools in the country (out of 205) where enrollment was up greater than 20 percent.

In fact, the school had a waiting list.

“Yes, our tuition is low, and that’s a great thing,” Schwartz said. “But I think Bowen’s real value comes from our programming and innovation, and in the work our students do both in class and within the legal community.”