Why Arkansas Law?
The University of Arkansas School of Law offers a competitive J.D. as well as an advanced LL.M. program, which prepares students for success. Our challenging curriculum is taught by nationally recognized faculty, and there are unique opportunities for students to participate in pro bono work, externships, live client clinics, competitions, and food and agriculture initiatives.
We strive to identify, discuss, and challenge issues of race, color, ethnicity, and
the impact(s) they have on students, faculty, and staff members in an effort to achieve
a diverse, inclusive, and equitable community.
The University of Arkansas is the state’s land grant flagship institution, and our law school embodies the best of what public legal education offers today’s students. We are consistently ranked among the “Best Values in Legal Education” by National Jurist magazine, a designation we first won in 2011.
From admitting the Six Pioneers who were the first African American students to attend law school in the South without a court order to graduating governors, judges, prosecutors, and faculty who went on to become President of the United States and Secretary of State, we have a rich history and culture.
Academic Programs
J.D. Program
Established in 1924, the School of Law offers a full-time, three-year program leading to a Juris Doctor degree. The degree is conferred upon satisfactory completion of 90 semester hours, including 42 hours of required courses. Students are often referred to as 1Ls, 2Ls or 3Ls depending on the number of years they have been in the program. Two specialized certificate programs and four dual degree programs are also available to qualified students.
LL.M. Program in Food & Agricultural Law
The first advanced law degree in agricultural and food law was founded here more than 30 years ago. The LL.M. program was also the first to offer a fully integrated opportunity for face-to-face and distance education options. With its support, the School of Law publishes the nation’s first student-edited specialized journal devoted to food law and policy issues and sustains outreach efforts that connect academic scholarship with critical legal and policy issues.
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Academic Calendar
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Spotlight
Student Spotlight
Tierra McCraney
Initially, a journalism major with the intention of being a news anchor, Tierra began taking political science courses to further understand politics, as it is frequently discussed during news segments. Each class, she was exposed to the legal field, and was inspired by many individuals such as Justice Thurgood Marshall, who used their degree to enact positive change in their community. She considered law as a career where she could make a difference in the lives of many by advocating for their legal rights.
Alumni Spotlight
Timothy K. "Chip" Shaw
Capt. Timothy K. “Chip” Shaw (J.D. ’16), United States Air Force Jag Corps, is a volunteer pilot for Pilots N’Paws, a non-profit organization dedicated to engaging volunteers to provide the valuable services of rescuing, sheltering, and adopting animals. The organization recruits and schedules pilots willing to assist with animal transportation. In the photo, Shaw, a private pilot, prepares to fly two Collie pups from North Carolina to Maryland. He averages one trip per month for the organization. Shaw, currently on active duty in Washington, D.C., is enrolled in the Environmental and Energy Law LL.M. program at Georgetown Law.