The University of Arkansas School of Law is honored to announce the creation of the Terry Kirkpatrick Guzman Endowed Clinical Legal Education Fund, established through a $100,000 gift from Ray Guzman, professor emeritus, in loving memory of his wife, Terry Kirkpatrick Guzman (J.D. '72), a former clinical instructor at the School of Law. Additional gifts in Terry's honor have been made to supplement the fund by friends, family and colleagues.

The endowed fund will support the law school's legal clinics, where Kirkpatrick Guzman taught and mentored students with extraordinary care, compassion and insight. A member of the School of Law Class of 1972—one of only three women in her class—Kirkpatrick Guzman forged a groundbreaking career dedicated to public service and justice. Her professional career included private practice as a partner in Arkansas' first woman-only law firm and public service as an assistant attorney general, law clerk for the Arkansas Supreme Court and staff attorney on the U.S. Congressional Committee investigating the impeachment of President Richard Nixon.

As a professor and director of the legal clinic at the U of A School of Law for 15 years, Kirkpatrick Guzman left a profound impact on students and colleagues alike. Many credit her with shaping their understanding of the law's capacity to serve others. She was admired not only for her legal expertise but also for her unwavering willingness to assist anyone in need, regardless of means or station.

Ray Guzman shared that this gift reflects Terry's passion for teaching and her belief in the power of experiential learning. 

"For a number of years, Terry served as director of our legal clinic. She felt strongly that the clinic was a powerful force both within the educational life of our students and for the administration of justice in our judicial system," Guzman said. "Terry had long planned to make a significant contribution to the law school. During the final months of her life, we agreed that establishing the Terry Kirkpatrick Guzman Endowed Clinical Legal Education Fund would be the best way to help ensure the clinic would remain adequately funded."

The School of Law's legal clinics offer students hands-on experience under faculty supervision, representing clients in areas such as civil litigation, criminal defense, human trafficking, immigration and rural enterprise development. The Terry Kirkpatrick Guzman Endowed Clinical Legal Education fund will provide lasting support for these vital programs, helping to fund student stipends, case development resources and faculty mentorship.

"This endowment is a beautiful tribute to Terry's life and legacy," said Dean Cynthia Nance. "We are profoundly grateful to Ray and the Guzman family for their generosity. Their gift will strengthen our legal clinics, extend our outreach and touch the lives of students and clients for generations to come."

For more information or to make a contribution, please contact Erin Feller, director of development and external relations, at feller@uark.edu or (479) 575-3468.

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 exceptional opportunities in pro bono work, live-client clinics, public service fellowships, competitions and much more. It also has a rich history and tradition of leadership—from admitting the Six Pioneers, the first African American students to attend a Southern law school without a court order, to graduating governors, judges, prosecutors and faculty members who have gone on to serve as President of the United States and Secretary of State. Follow us at @uarklaw.