The University of Arkansas Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law has been ranked a 2018 Best School for Public Service by National Jurist preLaw Magazine. 

Using job placement data, curricula offerings, student debt, and loan repayment data, the magazine determined the top 20 best schools for public service in the categories of public interest, government, and prosecutors/public defenders. UA Little Rock ranked 17th in the government category.

The ranking appears in the Winter 2018 edition. The article points out that, overall, a quarter of all law school graduates have their first job in public service, including public interest lawyers, public defenders and prosecutors, government jobs, and state and federal clerkships. The location of a law school aids in students finding government jobs.

“Public service is one of our core values,” Bowen Dean John DiPippa said. “Many of our students come to law school because they want meaningful careers that can make a positive change. Our location in Little Rock gives students opportunities for that kind of career they might not have elsewhere.”

At Bowen, students are required to complete an experiential learning course prior to graduation. With public service externships, a judicial practicum course, and seven legal clinics, students can explore almost any type of public service law career.

This recognition comes on the heels of Bowen being named a 2017 Best Value Law School by National Jurist prelaw for the seventh year in a row and a 2017 Top Ten Law School with Lowest Alumni Debt by U.S. News & World Report for the second year in a row.