Graduate Assistantship Opportunities

We will be offering a limited number of Graduate Assistantships (GAs) for the 2025-2026 academic year. Students admitted to the LL.M. Program who attend full-time on campus are eligible for GAs. Our GA positions offer educational opportunities beyond the classroom, providing agricultural and food law research and writing opportunities.

Graduate assistantship opportunities offer a tuition-free way to earn an LL.M. degree in just two semesters while doing impactful work. GAs work 15 hours per week, receive a tuition-waiver and a stipend, and are eligible for health benefits. They generally apply for two semesters, Fall and Spring, allowing the GA to earn their degree in 9 months. GAs must have a U.S. law degree and a law school GPA of 3.0 or higher.

GA assignments for next year are not yet set, but here are some of the prior assignments:

Sustainability and the Environment

This GA will assist with a research project focused on the environmental regulation of agriculture and small business assistance for sustainable farmers. This position will include legal research and writing on several agricultural law and policy topics, including Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations, policies that provide small, sustainable farms with economic support, and animal welfare law and policy.

Food Law & Policy

We are seeking a Teaching Assistant for a JD level Food Law & Policy course designed to serve the 2L staff editors for the Journal of Food Law & Policy. Applicants should have journal, law review, or similar experience and an interest in teaching and scholarship in food law & policy.

Indigenous Food & Agriculture

The Indigenous Food & Agriculture Initiative (IFAI ) provides strategic legal analysis, policy research, and educational resources to empower Indian Country through food sovereignty, agriculture, and economic development. We are proud to have a GA position that supports this work. This GA will work directly with the IFAI, furthering their mission.

Old Main walk in the fall

Animal Welfare and Humane Handling

This GA will assist with our work on a humane-handling legal education project for farmers, ranchers and small processors. This project will help those exploring on-farm slaughter and small processors in our region improve practices and manage legal risks regarding humane handling and slaughter regulatory requirements.

Tax Education and Asset Protection Initiative

Under-served farmers and ranchers often need basic business and tax planning assistance. We are proud to support this assistance through our participation in a major USDA-funded education project. This Taxpayer Education and Asset Protection Initiative will provide tax resources for new and underserved farmers and ranchers, as well as educators and tax professionals who work with rural and agricultural clients. Our GA will assist with this important project.

LL.M. Alumni Connection

We will have a GA focused on the LL.M. Program, maintaining connections with our network of 350+ alumni, many of whom are leaders in the agricultural and food law community. This GA will network with our alumni and work with the Program director and professors to communicate about our activities and our alumni accomplishments. They will also help us to monitor developments in agricultural and food law, performing related research projects.

Our GAs are only available to on-campus students, but the chance to spend two semesters in Fayetteville is an opportunity in itself. Located in the foothills of the Ozarks, Fayetteville is a forward-thinking college town that is often included as one of the best places to live in the U.S. Surrounded by natural beauty, Northwest Arkansas offers a vibrant local food community, is home to artisans and musicians, and is connected by an extensive system of family friendly bike-trails. The Walton Art Center and Crystal Bridges American Art Museum provide unique cultural experiences. As the headquarters of major corporations such as Walmart, Tyson Foods, and J.B. Hunt, the area also offers many business opportunities. Northwest Arkansas is served by a convenient regional airport with direct flights to more than 20 cities across the country.

For attorneys who wish to join us via distance, our LL.M. Program offers complete integration between our on-campus and distance opportunities. Distance students are automatically given the benefit of low Arkansas state tuition rates, now set at less than $517/credit hour. Only 24 credit hours are needed to earn the LL.M. degree.

For more information, contact Program Director, Susan Schneider, William H. Enfield Professor of Law, at sschneid@uark.edu or visit our website at LL.M. Program in Agricultural and Food Law.