School of Law Alumni Awards
The University of Arkansas School of Law and the Law Alumni Society Board sponsor three awards to recognize alumni and friends for their service to the legal community and law school. The 2021 and 2022 recipients will be honored at the Law Alumni Society’s Awards Dinner on April 9, 2022 during the School of Law Alumni Reunion Weekend.
2022 Award Recipients
Read more about our award recipients →

Dalton Person (J.D. '16)
Early Career Award

KenDrell Collins (J.D. '18)
Early Career Award

Lonnie Powers (J.D. '70)
Commitment to Justice Award

Colonel Conley Meredith (J.D. '70)
Commitment to Justice Veterans Award

Kandice Bell (J.D. '97)
Public Service Award

Autumn Tolbert (J.D. '06)
Public Service Award

Rose Law Firm
Career Champion Award, Large Firm

The Law Group of Northwest Arkansas
Career Champion Award, Small Firm
2021 Award Recipients

Morris Arnold (J.D. '68)
Commitment to Justice Award

Alayna Farris (J.D. '16)
Commitment to Justice Early Career Award

Kutak Rock, LLC
Career Champion Award, Large Firm

Smith Hurst, PLC
Career Champion Award, Small Firm
Nominations are now open and being accepted through October 11, 2021 for the 2022 awards cycle:
Commitment to Justice Award
Awarded to an alumnus/a who, through personal achievement and service to the law school, their community, and the legal profession, have brought honor and distinction to both themselves and the School of Law.
To be eligible*, nominee must:- be a University of Arkansas School of Law alumnus/a
- be 10 or more years post-graduation
* Current faculty/staff and Law Alumni Society Board Members are ineligible. Alumni currently in a position of elected or appointed government office or known to be launching a campaign are ineligible.
Commitment to Justice Early Career Award
Awarded to an alumnus/a who, through personal achievement and service to the law school, their community, and the legal profession, have brought honor and distinction to both themselves and the School of Law.
To be eligible*, nominee must
- be a University of Arkansas School of Law alumnus/a
- have graduated in the last nine years
* Current faculty/staff and Law Alumni Society Board Members are ineligible. Alumni currently in a position of elected or appointed government office or known to be launching a campaign are ineligible.
Career Champion Award
Awarded to a firm** or organization that has provided significant, consistent contributions toward the advancement of career services and student programming in one or more of the following ways:
- participates in career programming
- posts jobs or internships
- participates in on-campus interviewing
- regularly attends networking events
- hosts a networking event, sponsors academic programming or law school events
** Small and Large firms will be considered in separate categories:
Small firms (10 members or less)
Large firms (11 members or more)
Public Service Award
Awarded to an alumnus/a who has brought honor and distinction to both themselves and the School of Law through a career or role in public service.
To be eligible*, nominee must:
- be a University of Arkansas School of Law alumnus/a
* Current faculty/staff and Law Alumni Society Board Members are ineligible.
Alumni currently known to be launching an election campaign are ineligible.
Veterans Award
Awarded to an alumnus/a who has served in the United States Armed Forces and who has made a positive impact on his/her local, national, international community; fellow veterans or veteran organizations; the legal profession; or the University of Arkansas School of Law.
To be eligible*, nominee must:
- be a University of Arkansas School of Law alumnus/a
- must be a person who served in the military, and who received an honorable discharge. Please reference the military service that qualifies the nominee for the Veteran’s Award for Distinguished Service.
* Current faculty/staff and Law Alumni Society Board Members are ineligible. Alumni currently known to be launching a campaign are ineligible.
Gayle Pettus Pontz Award
Women's Law Student Association chooses an annual honoree based the following criteria: a female graduate or a woman with connections to the local legal community who best represents the accomplishments of women and the legal community as a whole and who promotes WLSA's objectives of helping women thrive in law school, creating a community that will raise awareness of women's issues and advancing women in the legal profession.