01/21/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 01/21/2025 08:18
The UA Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law, in partnership with the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service and Clinton Presidential Center, will host the 2025 Arnold Lecture and Symposium on Feb. 20, 2025, at the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts.
The evening begins with a reception from 5 to 6 p.m. in the Cultural Living Room, followed by a keynote address and commentaries at 6 p.m. in the museum's Lecture Hall.
"The Arnold Lecture brings together distinguished legal thinkers at a pivotal moment in our nation's history, as we reflect on the 2024 election," said Colin Crawford, dean of the William H. Bowen School of Law. "By hosting scholars with diverse views, we hope to illuminate the critical role courts play in ensuring the integrity of our democratic process. At Bowen, we are committed to examining the complex intersection of law and democracy. This free and open event is part of our mission to engage the broader community in discussions that matter."
The lecture and symposium, "Courts and Democracy: Reflections on the 2024 Election," is scheduled one month to the day after the Presidential Inauguration, and will feature an ideologically diverse panel of election law experts. The event's keynote speaker will be Dan Tokaji, the Fred W. & Vi Miller Dean and professor of law at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Law School. Tokaji is a leading authority in the field of election law. He has been interviewed and quoted by outlets such as the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and the Washington Post. Tokaji's scholarship addresses questions of voting rights, free speech, and democratic inclusion.
Derek T. Muller and Eugene D. Mazo, nationally recognized scholars in the field of election law, will also speak. Muller, a professor of law at the University of Notre Dame Law School, researches the role of states in the administration of federal elections, the constitutional contours of voting rights and election administration, the limits of judicial power in the domain of elections, and the Electoral College. Mazo is the associate professor of law and associate professor of political science at Duquesne University. His focus is on the theory and practice of democracy and he serves as editor of The Oxford Handbook of American Election Law (2024).
Event Honorary Co-hosts include:
Mrs. Kay Arnold
Hon. Morris Arnold and Mrs. Gail Arnold
Ms. Keesa Smith-Brantley
Hon. Bud Cummins
Ms. Holly Dickson
Hon. Rita Gruber and Hon. Wayne Gruber
Hon. LaTonya Honorable
Ms. Molly McNulty and Mr. Chris McNulty
Hon. Antwan Phillips
Mr. Bill Waddell
Hon. Joyce Williams Warren and Mr. James Warren
Hon. Barbara Womack Webb and Mr. Doyle Webb
Mr. Alfred Williams
Ms. Carolyn Witherspoon
Hon. Rhonda Wood
The Arnold Lecture series, an occasional event hosted by the William H. Bowen School of Law, honors the late Judge Richard Arnold and Judge Morris "Buzz" Arnold, distinguished Arkansas jurists appointed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. In the past, the Arnold Lecture has welcomed U.S. Supreme Court Justices and other celebrated legal thinkers to the Bowen campus.
This event is free and open to the public, but seating is limited. Reserve your seat today at ualr.at/arnoldlecture.