The Delta Initiative
The University of Arkansas School of Law has prioritized the Delta as a region of focus. A Delta advisory committee was established in 2021, which identified areas that have the greatest need within the region:
- access to justice
- severe lack of legal professionals per capita, and
- the need to recruit students earlier in their educational careers (high school vs. junior/senior year of college)
Goals Of The Delta Initiative
Visibility | Engagement | Community Service

Outreach to communities
Bring our current School of Law students to smaller rural areas that need legal professionals in an effort to make an immediate impact on the access to justice issues.
Pipelines to provide resources and information
Expose high school students to the idea of law school by providing legal curriculum that engages the students and evokes questions and discussion.
Inform students about University of Arkansas and University of Arkansas School of Law enrollment and scholarship opportunities.
Pathways to help students
Expose our law students to the Delta communities, alumni and legal professionals in the area so they can learn about opportunities for post-grad employment and the benefits and impact of practicing in the region.
Our Plan

Current law school students, faculty, and staff will travel to high schools in the Delta to deliver curriculum crafted around the Constitution and its impact on current laws and policy. This will be a two-day trip with the students being in the high schools for the first day and performing a community service project on the second day.
2022 will be our pilot year with the students visiting schools in Osceola and Pine Bluff (Pine Bluff High School, Watson Chapel). In conjunction with the City of Osceola, the law school students will host a record-sealing clinic in partnership with Arkansas Legal Aid, and in Pine Bluff, will work with area attorneys and the Center for Arkansas Legal Services, to host a wills and trusts clinic.
Activities scheduled for September 16 and 17, 2022.
Osceola
Schedule of Events - Osceola
- Thursday Evening
- Travel Teams arrive
- Friday 8 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
- Constitution Days Programming in Osceola High School
- Friday Evening
- Networking Reception hosted by the City of Osceola for area community partners members of the Arkansas Bench and Bar/Students
- Saturday 9:00 a.m.
- Pro Bono Record Sealing Clinic (Facilities and Technology provided by Osceola High School). Students will have the opportunity to work alongside judges and attorneys while assisting in a one-stop expungement (sealing) clinic. The last station at this clinic will inform the citizens who have come about open job opportunities.


Pine Bluff
Schedule of Events · Pine Bluff
- Thursday Evening
- Travel Teams arrive
- Friday 8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
- Constitution Days Programming in Pine Bluff High School and Watson Chapel High School
- Friday Evening
- Networking Reception for area community partners/members of the Jefferson County Bench and Bar/Students
- Saturday Time 9:00 a.m.
- Pro Bono Wills and Trusts Clinic. The Center for Arkansas Legal Services is assisting with administration and set-up. Students will have the opportunity to work closely with local attorneys to draft and revise wills, trusts, and estates documents.


Sponsors






