School of Law Student Selected for 2026 Civil Rights Fellowship

Colton Godsey, a rising second-year student at the U of A School of Law, has been selected as a Civil Rights Fellow in the 2026 class of the Center for Equal Opportunity. This fifth annual class is the largest, most competitive class of fellows to date as the organization received a large volume of highly qualified applications from across the nation.

In August, Godsey will join the seminar-style fellowship program in Washington, D.C., for in-depth instruction in civil rights case law, enforcement practices and public policy while engaging with notable law and policy experts, litigators, former government officials and other prominent thought leaders. He will also receive media training.

"I am deeply honored to be selected as a 2026 Civil Rights Fellow with the Center for Equal Opportunity," Godsey said. "This fellowship represents an invaluable opportunity to engage with constitutional and civil rights issues that are at the center of many of the legal, political and social debates shaping our country today, while learning from accomplished legal professionals across the country."

During the fellowship, he will engage in examination of the history, implementation and continuing impact of landmark civil rights legislation, such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Voting Rights Act of 1965. He will also explore some of the most consequential legal issues shaping the nation today, including the implications of recent Supreme Court decisions, the evolving legal landscape surrounding siversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and the ongoing efforts to address discrimination in education and employment.

"I hope to bring the knowledge and experience I gain through the program back to Northwest Arkansas as I pursue a career dedicated to wrongful conviction advocacy, civil rights litigation and expanding meaningful access to justice," Godsey said.

At the School of Law, Godsey serves as the vice president-elect for the Arkansas Trial Lawyers Association and advanced to the final four of the 2026 Negotiations Competition. He has gained practical experience as a legal intern at OMG Law Firm in Jonesboro. This summer, he is working as an intern with the Oklahoma Innocence Project until the fellowship begins.

A Blytheville native, he earned his Bachelor of Science Management in business management, with honors, from Arkansas State University.