Robert Steinbuch, a law professor at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law, will serve as chair of the Arkansas Advisory Committee of a federal organization dedicated to advancing civil rights through investigation, research, and analysis.

The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, an independent bipartisan federal agency, first appointed Steinbuch to the Arkansas Advisory Committee in 2017. He was elected by his colleagues as vice chair in 2018 and acting chair in 2019. Last week, the commission unanimously appointed Steinbuch as chair of the Arkansas Committee.  He will hold the position for the remainder of his service.

“I’m truly honored and humbled by the faith that the commissioners and my colleagues have put in me. I only hope that I can be equal to the task,” Steinbuch said. “My parents, who were fortunate to live while many of their close relatives were enslaved and murdered during World War II, came to this country with an unsurpassed commitment to justice and fairness. My father taught me that rights have no meaning without enforcement, and my mother taught me that tenacity paves the road to justice. I dedicate my service to their memories.”

Originally established by the Civil Rights Act of 1957, the commission is a fact-finding agency that helps develop national civil-rights policy and enhances federal civil-rights law enforcement.

“The struggle for civil rights has been, and remains, an important part of our Arkansas history and experience. Getting it right is critical to our future success and welfare as a state,” said UA Little Rock Chancellor Christina Drale. “Professor Steinbuch is well positioned to help all Arkansans advance this commitment. His service as committee chair is a service to the university, Little Rock, and the state of Arkansas. He is an example of our faculty members using their unique skills to reinforce the public service mission of UA Little Rock.”

The Civil Rights Commission pursues its mission “by studying alleged deprivations of voting rights and alleged discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, age, disability, or national origin, or in the administration of justice.”

Steinbuch joined the UA Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law in 2005 after serving in various positions in government and private practice. He currently also serves on the Arkansas Freedom of Information Task Force; the U.S. Fulbright Commission, Council for Internal Exchange of Scholars; and the Polish-U.S. Fulbright Commission. Steinbuch was a Fulbright Scholar to Poland during the 2015 academic year.

Steinbuch’s professional experience includes roles with the U.S. Court of Appeals, the U.S. Department of Justice, and the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee.