Professor Tim Tarvin to Retire After 30 Years of Clinical Teaching at the School of Law

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From left: Nonprofit clinic Professor Tim Tarvin with student Kordyn Turner.

Professor Tim Tarvin (J.D. '76) will retire this semester after 30 years of teaching at the School of Law. During Tarvin's academic career, he taught clinics including federal practice, transactional, civil, criminal prosecution, juvenile defense and general practice. Among other things, he also spent a summer teaching comparative consumer bankruptcy in the law school's Study Abroad Program at Cambridge University.

Himself a graduate of the School of Law, Tarvin was the clinical student of then-law professor Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton. Due to a scheduling conflict, Clinton was unable to attend, and former President Bill Clinton stepped in to supervise Tarvin at his first-ever court appearance, where he successfully defended his client against a traffic citation.

Reflecting on his retirement, Tarvin said, "It has been an honor and the highlight of my professional career to have been a part of this clinical faculty for 30 years and to have learned from and presented with law professors from around the world."

Students will miss Tarvin's warmth, guidance and deep knowledge of the law, Arkansas bar and law practice. His impact on students has reached far beyond the time they spent in his clinics.

"Professor Tarvin was and is the guardian angel I didn't know I needed in law school and beyond," remarked Dequeshia Prude-Wheeler (J.D. '17). "There has never been a time I could not call him to work through a legal issue or just cry in his office, and he wasn't there. He helped me try my first case in federal court as a law student, and I would not be the attorney I am today if not for his mentorship."

School of Law alumnus Dakota Thornbury (J.D. '18) shared, "Professor Tarvin had an immeasurable impact on my life and education, both during law school and after as a mentor in my career search. Not only did Professor Tarvin's dedication impact my life, his work in the clinic positively impacted the lives of so many clients in some of their darkest days. I'm truly grateful to have had the opportunity to learn from him."

Under Tarvin's supervision in the Nonprofit Clinic, law students provided assistance to approximately 200 Arkansas nonprofits and represented countless individuals facing financial catastrophe.

"Professor Tarvin has been an incredible colleague in our clinical program. For the last decade, I have benefitted from his positivity, unflagging support and insights into teaching and law practice. Although his retirement is so well deserved, he will also be very much missed," said Professor Annie Smith. "It is hard to imagine our program without him."    

Before joining the law faculty, Tarvin had a robust legal career and served as deputy prosecuting attorney, bankruptcy trustee, juvenile judge and municipal judge. His admissions to practice include the Arkansas Supreme Court, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit and United States district courts in Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas.

Tarvin is a lifetime member of the House of Delegates of the Arkansas Bar Association, and he has served on the Arkansas Supreme Court Task Force on Public Access to Court Records, and the Arkansas Supreme Court Committee on Continuing Legal Education and its Access to Justice Committee.

As former student Brian Ferguson observed, "From my first interactions with Professor Tarvin, it was clear to me he wanted to do more than turn law students into competent lawyers. His goal was to turn law students into competent lawyers who care about people and care about helping them." In recognition of his heart for service, Tarvin was awarded the Arkansas Bar Association's Certificate of Recognition for service to the public and profession, as well as the Outstanding Pro Bono Attorney award from Arkansas Volunteer Lawyers for the Elderly.

Tarvin's scholarship has focused on bankruptcy law, nonprofit law and legal technology. His most recent article, "The Fifth Amendment Privilege Against Self-Incrimination in Bankruptcy: Protecting Clients and Avoiding Professional Error," offered critical advice to practicing attorneys.

"Professor Tarvin has impacted many lives within and outside of the School of Law," said Dean Cynthia Nance. "We will truly miss his service to the school and community, and his kind mentoring of his students, but his legacy lives on in the lives of his students whose many contributions he enabled."

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.