The U of A School of Law welcomed the second class of the Arkansas Public Service Academy on Saturday, April 2. The Arkansas Bar Association and the U of A Clinton School of Public Service created the program to provide service-minded lawyers with the tools they need for service in both elected office and as volunteers.

School of Law Dean Alena Allen welcomed the class and academy members and spoke about the school's public service program. Students Elise Baroni and Mason Gates — the Rose Law Firm 200th Anniversary Public Service Fellows — shared their fellowship experiences. Baroni worked with the Shelby County Public Defender, and Gates worked with the Mississippi Center for Justice.

The 2021-22 class of the Public Service Academy includes four students from the U of A law school: Martin Arroyo, Ashley James, Mikayla Jayroe and Gabriela Lopez-Gardner.

The class met April 1-2 in Fayetteville, gathering at Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce for a reception and the U of A for panels and workshops led by legal educators, current and former office-holders, journalists, campaign consultants and others. The first part of their training was held Nov. 12-13 in Little Rock.

The academy, chaired by Nate Looney and Michael Goswami, is sponsored by the U of A School of Law, University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law, Rose Law Firm, Arkansas Bar Association President Brian Rosenthal and the Civil Practice Section and Government Practice Section of the Arkansas Bar Association.

Former Chief Justice Howard Brill, the Vincent Foster Professor of Legal Ethics and Professional Responsibility at the U of A School of Law; Circuit Judge Earnest Brown; Arkansas House Speaker Matthew Shepherd; and Maggie Benson, co-chair of the inaugural Public Service Academy, serve on its sterring committee.

About the School of Law: The law school offers a competitive J.D. as well as an advanced LL.M. program, which are taught by nationally recognized faculty. The school offers unique opportunities for students to participate in pro bono work, externships, live client clinics, competitions, and food and agriculture initiatives. The school strives 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. 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, the law school has a rich history and culture. Follows us at @uarklaw.