The U of A School of Law will participate in a nationwide celebration of pro bono service during Pro Bono Week Oct. 20-26. In honor of the week's activities, Fayetteville Mayor Lioneld Jordan is issuing a proclamation declaring the fourth week in October as Pro Bono Week.

Following the national theme, "Making Justice a Reality in Our Communities," events at the U of A will include panel discussions, pro bono opportunities for students and attorneys, community service events and donation drives. The full schedule of events follows:

Monday, Oct. 21 — Professional Development Lunch speaker Lee Richardson, executive director at Legal Aid of Arkansas.

Wednesday, Oct. 23 — The "Pro Bono as Passion" program will be held from noon to 1 p.m. in the E.J. Ball Courtroom at the School of Law. The moderated discussion highlights the many opportunities for legal professionals to invest their skills in pro bono work. Featured panelists include: Blair Bullock, U of A assistant professor of law; Ashley Stepps, managing partner at Rippy, Stepps & Associates; Laura Ferner (J.D. '05), attorney at Crouch, Harwell, Fryar and Ferner PLLC; and Kerri Kobbeman (J.D. '05), partner at Conner & Winters LLP. All are welcome to attend; register here.

Thursday, Oct. 24 — A Name and Gender Marker Change Clinic hosted by Legal Aid of Arkansas will be take place from 4-7 p.m. in the Ziegler Reception Room at the Fayetteville Public Library. Volunteer law students and local attorneys will provide free legal assistance to those seeking name or gender marker changes. This event is open to the public; please register here.

Friday, Oct. 25 — The Benton County Legal Help Desk will be open to the public for free legal assistance from 8 a.m. to noon at the Benton County Courthouse. Walk-ins are welcome!

Throughout the week, law student organizations have planned the following events: a hygiene blessing bag packing event serving the unhoused community in Northwest Arkansas, a trail/park cleanup in the Lower Ramble in partnership with the City of Fayetteville to remove invasive species and reading to students at Leverett Elementary School.

Law school community service events will include donation drives for 7Hills Homeless Center, Change4Change monetary donations for Peace at Home Family Shelter and a paperback book drive for the Benton County Juvenile Detention Center.

The School of Law will also recognize law students who have performed the most pro bono hours with a "Dessert with the Dean." Dean Cynthia Nance will host students with more than 25 cumulative hours of pro bono service from the spring semester of their first year of law school through Oct. 1, 2024, to celebrate their contributions to the law school and community. The students being honored this year are Willie Chapple, Lindsay Mast, Justyce Yuille, Sadie Baumann, Johanna Day-Rohr, Stephanie Ponzaneli, Gabrielle Rancifer, Ethan Lee, Marcos Perez, Hailey Garner, Helen Hope, Harleigh Summerville and Courtney Duck.

For questions about the various events, please contact Lindsay Mast, the 2024-25 Robert F. Fussell Pro Bono Fellow, at lm077@uark.edu.

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About Pro Bono Week: In 2009, the American Bar Association Standing Committee on Pro Bono and Public Service launched Pro Bono Week in recognition of an increased need for pro bono services. The nationwide celebration provides an opportunity for community legal associations across the country to provide quality legal services to those in need.

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.