Law Alumni Society Announces New Officers and Board Members

The U of A School of Law proudly announces the new Law Alumni Society officers and board members for the 2026-27 academic year. Board members are selected to serve a three-year term, and officers are nominated by board members to serve one-year terms. Collectively, the Law Alumni Society sponsors six awards that highlight alumni for their service and contributions to the law school and legal community, which are presented during Alumni Reunion Weekend.

 "We are deeply grateful for the unwavering commitment and thoughtful guidance each board member brings to the School of Law," said Hayden Lucas, associate director of development and board secretary/treasurer.

 A full list of board members can be found on the Law Alumni Society web page.

New Officers

Austin Todd (J.D. '17) - President

Todd currently serves as the Special Assistant United States Attorney for the United States Air Force. After a clerkship with the Missouri Court of Appeals–Southern District, he joined the USAF JAG Corps. In the Air Force, he has held numerous positions, including Assistant Staff Judge Advocate, Victims' Counsel and an instructor at the Air Force Judge Advocate General's School at Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama.

Tyler Mlakar (J.D. '22) - Vice President

Mlakar is an associate attorney for Rose Law Firm's litigation section in Rogers, where he is a general litigator with a focus on construction law. He is also a member of the editorial advisory board for The Arkansas Lawyer and has been nationally recognized for his legal writing. Recently, he was named to the Fast 15 list by Talk Business & Politics. While attending the School of Law, he served as the executive editor for the Arkansas Law Review and made history as the law school's first to graduate at the top of his class with a perfect GPA. He studied international relations at The College of William and Mary and graduated in 2019.

New Board Members

Eric Endsley (J.D. '20) is an intellectual property attorney and associate at Kutak Rock LLP in Rogers. He has been recognized as a professional engineer in both Arkansas and Texas. Endsley has engaged in pro bono work with the U of A's Entrepreneurial Law Project and was a guest speaker at the Intellectual Property Law Student Association's World Intellectual Property Symposium. While attending the School of Law, he served as articles editor for the Arkansas Law Review and Board of Advocates secretary/treasurer. He earned a B.S. in electrical engineering with a minor in mathematics from the U of A in 2007.

Shannon Halijan (J.D. '05) serves as associate principal of 340B Policy at Apexus LLC, where she leads legal and policy analysis of federal and state developments that affect the 340 Drug Pricing Program. Previously, she served as assistant attorney general and deputy attorney general at the Arkansas Attorney General's Office and as the chief legal officer for the Little Rock Water Reclamation Authority. She earned a BBA in computer and information sciences from the University of Central Arkansas.

Carson Henderson (J.D. '23) works as an associate attorney in the North America Litigation and Government Enforcement Practice Group at Baker McKenzie in Dallas. He is experienced in handling state and federal employment claims and commercial litigation claims. While at the School of Law, he served as chair of the Board of Advocates. In 2020, he graduated from the U of A with a B.A. in political science and history, magna cum laude.

Judge Kathie Hess (J.D. '00) currently serves as circuit judge for the First Judicial District, Division 5, where she presides over a variety of cases. Additionally, she is the chair of the Arkansas Juvenile Judges Division of the Arkansas Judicial Council, where she collaborates with juvenile judges to strengthen Arkansas's juvenile justice system. The Arkansas Supreme Court also appointed her to serve as commissioner on the Arkansas Supreme Court Commission on Children, Youth and Families.

Bethany Michau (J.D. '24) works as an associate attorney at Mitchell, Williams, Selig, Gates & Woodyard, P.L.L.C in Rogers. There, she works with litigation matters across various fields and manages commercial and residential real estate transactions. She also serves as a seconded attorney on the eCommerce team at Walmart. Additionally, she is an associate of the W.B. Putman American Inn of Court and a member of the Arkansas Association of Defense Counsel. While attending the School of Law, she was the research editor for the Arkansas Law Review and the Board of Advocates trial competition chair. She earned a B.A. in corporate communication from Baylor University.

Judge Christopher Morledge (J.D. '94) was elected judge for Arkansas's First Judicial Circuit Court in 2014. Previously, he entered private practice in Forrest City and served as deputy prosecuting attorney for the First Judicial District. He attended Westminster College and received a Master of Arts from Arkansas State University in 1991. In January 2027, he will begin his third term on the bench.

Chelsea Penn (J.D. '15) is the director of Walmart Realty–New Sam's Clubs (TX, NE, Carolinas). She is a member of the NWA Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM) chapter, where she has held various leadership positions, including vice president currently. Outside of work, she volunteers with the NWA Food Bank, the Samaritan Care Center and Community Blood Center of the Ozarks. She earned her B.A. in political science with a minor in legal studies from the U of A in 2012 and also studied abroad at the U of A Rome Center in 2014.

Anna Rice (J.D. '23) is an associate attorney at Mitchell, Williams, Selig, Gates & Woodyard, P.L.L.C. in Rogers, where she focuses on employment and commercial litigation. She is a member of the Arkansas Bar Association Young Lawyers Section, the Benton County Bar Association and the Arkansas Women Lawyers Association. While at the School of Law, she was the articles editor of the Journal of Food Law & Policy and president of the Business Law Society. She received a B.A. in political science from the U of A in 2023.

About the 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. Follow us at @uarklaw.