School of Law Announces 2023 Summer Public Service Fellows

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Top from left: Lindsay Mast, Christopher Barnes and Ben Cameron; Middle: Marcos Perez, Stephany Quintero and Dell Barnes; and bottom: Willie Chapple, Caleb Henry and Sadie Baumann.

The U of A School of Law is pleased to announce this year's cohort of nine Summer Public Service Fellows. The fellowship program provides promising law students with financial support to work for a public service employer over the summer. It is part of the law school's broader effort to fulfill the university's mission as a land-grant institution.

"This program helps to build the next generation of public-service minded lawyers by making it possible for law students to take the jobs of their dreams," said Sara Gosman, associate professor of law and faculty director of the Public Service and Pro Bono program at the law school. "Through these fellowships, students gain hands-on experience, build their legal skills and make a positive impact on their communities. I am inspired by this group of excellent fellows and know their dedication to public service will stay with them throughout their careers."

This summer, the 2023 Summer Public Service Fellows will be working for federal and tribal courts, legal services organizations, other nonprofit organizations and the university. Students will tackle issues such as domestic violence, housing, immigration, substance abuse and wrongful conviction.

"I am thrilled to have the opportunity to intern with Midwest Innocence Project this summer," said Lindsay Mast, 2023 Rose Law Firm 200th Anniversary Public Service Fellow. "The generous support provided by the Summer Public Service Fellowship at the School of Law is making this possible financially, and I am deeply grateful. The dream of working in legal public service to reform the criminal justice system brought me to law school, and I am inspired by those who have paved the way investing in public service for our community's greater good."

The program, now in its fifth year, was created by former law school dean Margaret Sova McCabe to encourage first- and second-year law students to pursue their interest in public service. To date, 47 students have been awarded fellowships.

2023 Summer Public Service Fellows

Christopher Barnes, Ben J. Altheimer Public Service Fellow, will work for the Center for Arkansas Legal Services in Jefferson County, Arkansas.

Dell Barnes, Public Interest and Rural Community Sustainability Fellow, will work for Presiding Judge Barteaux of the Cherokee Nation District Court.

Sadie Baumann, Public Interest Litigation Fellow, will work for the Arkansas Department of Human Services.

Ben Cameron, School of Law Public Service Fellow, will work for Legal Aid of Arkansas.

Willie Chapple, Gearhart Family Endowed Diversity Fellow, will work for the U of A Department of Athletics.

Caleb Henry, Public Interest Litigation Fellow, will work for Judge Kristine Baker of the United States District Court Eastern District of Arkansas.

Lindsay Mast, Rose Law Firm 200th Anniversary Public Service Fellow, will work for the Midwest Innocence Project.

Marcos Perez, Rose Law Firm 200th Anniversary Public Service Fellow, will work for Magistrate Judge Rebecca Rutherford of the United States District Court Northern District of Texas as part of the Summer Judicial Internship Diversity Project.

Stephany Quintero, Squire Patton Boggs Foundation Public Policy Fellow, will work with Kids in Need of Defense in San Francisco, California.

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. Follow us at @uarklaw.