Thomas A. Mars, former executive vice president and chief administrative officer of Walmart and current owner of Mars Law Firm, will be the featured speaker at the 2023 U of A School of Law Commencement.

The Commencement ceremony will be celebrated on Saturday, May 20, at the Fayetteville Town Center, with the graduation procession beginning at 2 p.m.

"We are honored that our alumnus Tom Mars will serve as the law school commencement speaker," said Cynthia Nance, dean of the School of Law. "Not only has he risen to the top of our profession, he has done so while addressing important issues of the day. I have no doubt his words will inspire our graduates to follow his example, achieve great things and make a positive impact on society."

Mars was selected by the graduating law school class as its commencement speaker for his commitment to justice and leadership. He is an accomplished trial lawyer, a nationally recognized advocate in collegiate sports and an experienced crisis consultant for companies, executives and public officials.

Mars received his Juris Doctor from the U of A School of Law in 1985, graduating first in his class and serving as editor-in-chief of the Arkansas Law Review. After graduation, he sat for the Arkansas Bar Exam and received the top score.

Mars began his career as a law clerk to Judge Monroe McKay on the U.S. Court of Appeals. Following his clerkship, he spent the next 10 years establishing himself as one of Arkansas' most formidable trial lawyers. In 1998, he was appointed by then Gov. Mike Huckabee to serve as director of the Arkansas State Police. He served in this capacity for three years before returning to private practice. Shortly after, he was recruited by Walmart Inc. and served in various roles with the corporation, ultimately serving as executive vice president and chief administrative officer. In that role, he was responsible for various business units, including real estate, human resources, labor relations, external relations, U.S. compliance and financial services.

Mars has been the recipient of numerous awards that recognize professional excellence, among them the American Bar Association Spirit of Excellence Award, the Minority Corporate Counsel Association Diversity Award, the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association President's Award and the National Association of Women Lawyers President's Award.

For more information about law school graduation, please visit the Law Commencement Information page. The event will be livestreamed on the U of A YouTube channel.

About the University of Arkansas School of Law: The law school offers a competitive J.D. and is home to the nation’s first LL.M. program in agriculture and food law. Led by nationally recognized faculty, the school offers students pro bono work, live client clinics, public service fellowships, competitions, and much more. Students also benefit from our location in one of the fastest growing, most livable, and economically vibrant regions in the U.S., and from our corporate externship partnerships with Fortune 500 companies. Our alumni have gone on to become judges, senators, and governors, and we serve communities throughout our state and nation through programs such as the Indigenous Food and Agriculture Initiative. Our longstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion is exemplified by the Six Pioneers, the first Black students to attend law school in the South without a court order. Follow us at @uarklaw.