Law – Page 34 – Center for Law, Engagement, and Politics

Legal Advice from the Top

For the 2nd time in a year, the LEAP Center Ambassadors met with–and gained valuable advice from–former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.

It was also the 2nd time that LEAP Ambassador Austin Campbell had the honor of introducing Gonzales.

And there was a lot to cover in the introduction: Gonzales was the first Hispanic partner at Vinson and Elkins, one of the largest law firms in the US and the largest in Texas. He was then appointed by President Bush to the Texas Supreme Court. When Bush won the Presidency, he asked Gonzales to be White House counsel. When Bush was re-elected, Gonzales was appointed as US Attorney General.

But last week, he was an advisor to LEAP Ambassadors by morning and advisor to Dr. Heather Evans’ Political Science class by afternoon.

In both sessions, he opened with a video of his time in the White House. With soaring music, patriotic symbols of the US, and some of the premier leaders of the last 20 years, it was a stirring video. It was a fitting accompaniment for what General Gonzales called the “best place I’ve ever worked.”

In both meetings, he hit on interesting topics, particularly for those interested in POLS or pre-law:

Advising the President on Law: It’s not intimidating. The President took my advice on the legal aspects of matters. If a policy was illegal, it was the end of discussion. But if it was legal, the President typically relied on other advisors for the wisdom of such policies.
The Hours in the White House: You work 7am-8pm on weekdays, significant hours on Saturday, and you work many Sundays. You need an understanding spouse to work in the White House, and the pay isn’t great, but it’s an honor.

Ethnicity and Success: I think race has helped me at times and hurt me at times. Some people rooted against me to become the first minority partner in my law firm. But President Bush also explicitly said that my ethnicity was a factor in picking me for the Supreme Court of Texas. Texas has a significant Hispanic population, and he wanted that fact reflected on the Supreme Court.
Merrick Garland and a Senate Vote: Obama’s Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland deserves a vote by the US Senate. A senator can vote for or against according to the dictates of his or her own conscience, but the nominee deserves a vote and the public deserves to know how each senator voted. (This point was particularly appropriate in Dr. Evans’ US Congress class, in which we were covering Legislative-Executive relations).
Working in the White House: It was “great.” I didn’t miss a day because of illness, because I wanted to be there and had much work to do. It was an honor every day to go into work.

Gonzales also provided career-specific advice. He encouraged us to open up as many doors as possible, noting that you never know when a person in a position of power might be paying attention to who is and who isn’t working hard and worthy of additional opportunities.

With these words of encouragement in mind, the LEAP Ambassadors headed off to their classes, to study, or to their LSAT Prep Courses, hoping for additional opportunities!

The LEAP Center would like to thank Colonel David Yebra for arranging these meetings!

Appeals on Wheels: 10th COA Rolls into SHSU

If it’s spring, it’s time for the 10th Court of Appeals to hear four cases at Sam Houston State University. This year’s cases proved remarkably diverse, and students received a live, up-close education on the application of the law.

The 10th Court of Appeals first came to SHSU six years ago, in 2011. It was the brain-child of Chief Justice Tom Gray, and his colleagues Justice Al Scoggins and Justice Rex Davis enthusiastically agreed to come to Sam Houston. Professor Mike Yawn and the group “formerly known as the Junior Fellows” soon got into the act, and there has been much legal fun since then.

The education isn’t only watching the cases in action; it’s also seeing the courtroom procedure unfold. From the “All Rise, Oyez, Oyez, Oyez”

…to Justice Gray’s explanations of courtroom decorum…

…to the attorneys, who are able (only in this setting) to explain the facts of the case to us…

…to watching the attorneys’ behavior outside the courtroom…

..the education is unique–and that’s before we even talk about the cases!

Speaking of which, this year’s cases ran the legal gamut. The 10am session (Capstone v. IES Contracting) actually involved SHSU, with the University believing that construction of Sam Houston Village was faulty. This was a complex case, one involving multiple subcontractors, mergers, and much elapsed time.

The 11am session (Annette Knopf and Stanley Gray v. William and Karen Gray) involved a disputed will, which had been written by Ms. Vada Allen. She left property to her son, but confusion resulted from her will. In particular, there was a question as to whether some of the property was a life estate–that is, given to her son for his lifetime–or whether he had outright ownership. This was not only an interesting legal situation, but also a good life lesson about the difficulty of writing your own will. (Interestingly, this case involved the legal firm for which Kaitlyn Tyra works as a courier.)

As has become our custom, the Justices broke for lunch, and we were able to join them, along with other legal professionals in the community. Just before we ate, Justice Tom Gray presented Professor Yawn with a signed copy of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas’s autobiography, a nice touch to a nice day.

Also nice was the lunch conversation…

…which touched on school issues, our hopefulness about our legal careers, and the cases of the day.

Following lunch, we again worked the doors for the two most interesting cases. The 1pm (in re Troy Paul) session involved Troy Paul and Destiny Spillers, who may or may not have been informally married. They weren’t formally married, but Destiny argued that their relationship constituted a “common-law” marriage, which entitled her to spousal support–support, that is, beyond the $250,000 Mercedez that she was bought by Mr. Paul. The case involves not only the question of support, but also of legal fees to the tune of $425,000.

The final case of the day (Noe Cosino v. The State of TX) involved the cutting-edge issue of a blood draw in the absence of a warrant. The courts have previously held that such draws could be made in “exigent circumstance,” but more recent decisions have blurred the lines.

Following the cases, we spent a little more time with the Justices, taking photos and asking them to sign the case descriptions.

It was a fun morning and afternoon, a wonderful in-depth education for the LEAP Ambassadors, and for more than 200 SHSU students, a nice exposure to our legal system.

The CIA and FBI come to SHSU: Philip Mudd

After an exciting evening at Let’s Talk, the LEAP Center’s guest speakers and students began what would prove to be another eventful day filled with learning. Philip Mudd, former deputy director of the CIA Counterterrorist Center and FBI National Security Branch, spoke to students Friday morning on: how to catch terrorists, current events in the world of terror, and advice on how to prepare for a successful career.

Additionally Mr. Mudd briefly discussed his book, The Head Game: High Efficiency Analytic Decision-Making and the Art of Solving Complex Problems Quickly, which teaches readers how to effectively sort and analyze the mass amount of information thrown at us by society.

Mr. Mudd started working for the CIA in 1985, and he continued in government service through 2010. He worked for both the CIA and FBI, and his specialties were Asia and the Middle East. His work there brought him expertise not only in these regions and in intelligence gathering but also in decision-making processes.

Although his lecture was brief, Mr. Mudd packed in quality advice and insight to his career. Mr. Mudd spoke about strategies on how to catch terrorists and answered questions about current events relating to terrorism. The best take-away for students, though, were his life tips for success.

Although he offered numerous, the top three were to 1. read every day (and all the time!), 2. write every day, and 3. speak in front of audiences. As an honorable mention, he also emphasized the importance of working with people you don’t like.

Doing each will help students enhance their communication skills, which is a large part of many careers. Mr. Mudd also stressed finding a passion to do something you love. If you love what you are doing, you can enjoy your job.

Mr. Mudd actively engaged his audience throughout the entire lecture and students listened intently to his advice.

Once Mr. Mudd finished speaking, students also had the opportunity to ask questions and to get their books signed. We are thankful for the opportunities to learn from top leaders in the country! Thank you to Mr. Mudd for speaking to SHSU students!

LULAC and LEAP

Although it was the first day of Spring Break, LEAP ambassadors were happy to attend 2016 League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) Community Amigo Award Scholarship Banquet. Upon arrival, Brian and I were welcomed by John Escobedo, the President of Huntsville LULAC Council.

As we proceeded to take our seats, we found Former Mayor Mac Woodward, Mrs. Woodward, County Judge Pierce, and his wife Mrs. Pierce, and we were invited to join their table.

The program began with the performance of ballet folklorico, the local dance group directed by Anita Escobedo.

While we enjoyed dinner, Mr. Escobedo introduced the special guests of the night. Among those guests were Mayor Brauninger, Former Mayor Woodward, Council member Montgomery, County Judge Pierce, and Attorney Robert Cates, who was also the keynote speaker for the night.

Mr. Cates is an immigration attorney in Conroe who recently graduated from Baylor Law School. During his presentation he focused on educating the audience in the recent immigration reform by President Obama.

The presentation was followed by the awards presentation. We were excited to accept the Educator of the Year Award, which was given to the LEAP Center, largely for its annual “Citizenship Preparatory Course”–which, incidentally, begins tonight!

We were also happy to hear that Former Mayor Woodward received the Citizen of the Year Award(his second this year!)…

…and The Walker County Federal Credit Union received Business of the Year Award. In all it was a great event that allowed us to participate with another great organization!

On the Road to Success: LEAP Offers Mock LSAT

As it does every semester, the LEAP Center again collaborated with Kaplan testing to offer a free Mock LSAT, an opportunity for students to assess their performance on one of the keys to being admitted to law school.

The LSAT is a different test than the SAT or ACT because it tests different skills than what students were exposed to in high school and, to some extent, college. It takes intelligence, grit, and a lot of practice for students to do sufficiently well to get into the school of their choice.

The LEAP Mock LSAT is traditionally offered from 9:30-2:00pm on a Saturday and this semester was no exception. A bit before 9:30am, students began filing into the classroom, and we listened to Randy, our prep course instructor. He was enthusiastic and charismatic, and he captured our attention as we learned how the Mock LSAT is structured. The sections include: Logical Reasoning (2 such sections), Analytical Reasoning, and Reading Comprehension. The actual LSAT also has a writing section and an experimental section. Each section allows 35 minutes for completion. And with that intro, we began.

If anyone were to look into that room at that moment, they would have seen 20+ students with their heads bent down, faces scrunched in extreme concentration. As it turns out, Professor Yawn did exactly that…

Some were scribbling furiously, while others were staring intently at their paper. All of us were intensely focused, ready to take charge of this challenge. At the second to last section, we were able to take a 15 minute break, where we were provided chocolate chip cookies to give us some much needed energy. Once the 15 minutes were up, we were all energized and I was ready to start the exam again to finish the last section.

Finally, at around 2 p.m. we finished the last section. Randy then started to explain how to complete various questions from some of the toughest sections. He explained it in such a way that I could not believe I did not understand it the first time around.

It was time for the results. We all walked to the computer lab where we were able to receive the scores we got. Emotions varied with each score but everyone was happy that they had taken this test as it had bee worth it. Overall, I enjoyed the experience. Even though it was my second time taking it, the Mock LSAT still makes me nervous but by having the opportunity to take it before the real deal helps me feel more prepared. This experience has boosted my self-confidence and helped me make new goals for myself.

Presidential Politics, Fun, and Film: Day 2 in Arkansas, Continued

After being filled to our hearts desire at the Whole Hog Café, we were motivated to continue our exploration of Little Rock. Now with renewed energy we made our way to the Clinton Presidential Library and Museum. Located adjacent to the Arkansas River the Clinton Presidential Library’s exterior is almost entirely made of glass, which allows much light into the interior…

…a factor that contributed to the being designated as one of the most energy efficient and environmentally friendly places to work in the United States, regardless of the intense southern sun beating down. In addition to being the 42^nd President of the United States, Clinton also served as the 42^nd Governor of Arkansas and 50^th Attorney General of Arkansas.

Clinton was an enormous political figure for the state in which he was born and raised and the Library not only gave written narrative of his life…

…it also used the architecture to tell the story of Bill Clinton’s life and presidency. The architecture symbolized Clinton’s, message of “building a bridge to the future”, and fit right in with the many bridges of Little Rock…

…as it had the appearance of a bridge itself. The Clinton narrative was further developing by a time line of megalithic proportions.

Every year that Clinton served as President had an entire wall devoted to some of the key events of that year.

Another treat of the Library was art by Dale Chihuly, one of the LEAP Center’s favorites.

Before we knew it, it was time for our next stop of the day.

All of us walked outside and expected to climb back in the van and get going, but Professor Yawn had a different plan in mind. We were all pleasantly surprised by cardboard boxes waiting atop of one of the steep hills along side the Presidential library that were to serve as our sliding boards! Still in shock of this very spontaneous moment that Professor Yawn planned, we all chose a flat cardboard box to use as our boards. Standing at the very top of the hill, we all heard Professor Yawn shout, “GO!” and before we knew it we were all racing down the side of the grassy hill!

Sliding down the hill turned out to be more fun than we all expected, so we all raced back up multiple times and slid down in different positions which included sitting flat on the box, laying on our stomach, and even sitting inside of the box.

All the cheerfulness was a beneficial change to the quiet atmosphere of the library.

So much so, that we did it again…

…and again…

…even Professor Yawn went down…

We had to finally stop…

…before someone got hurt…

With some stains on our pants, mud on our shirts, and grass in our hair, we rushed to Heifer International for our next tour.

There we learned that the non-profit organization’s mission is to eliminate poverty, a mission that is completed in an interesting way. We started our tour with a brief informational session, provided by a Heifer International volunteer named Rick Hendricks.

With requests of aid from all over the country, the organization is capable of helping communities in need worldwide. As hinted above, the organization’s way of providing assistance in one that is not often seen in relief organizations. In order to complete their mission, the organization dose not provide relief through the offering of money or common supplies, instead it offers one of the most valuable of virtues anyone can be offered, an education of self-sustainability.

When contacted for help, Heifer International officials travel to the community in need. In order for the group in need to receive relief, they must first undergo a year-long process in which these organization officials educate the community in the various ways so they can maintain self sufficiency. After being taught the 12 Cornerstones for Just and Sustainable Development, centered on values like gender equality, improving the environment, marketing skills, and the like, the group in need is then offered an unusual donation. They are given a “living gift.” These living gifts may be a cow, seeds, sheep etc, that are indigenous to the petitioner’s home. This enables the organization’s efforts to stay local to the petitioner’s home to provide self-sustainability and resourcefulness.

With a cow donation for example, the destitute individual can now use the cow’s capability to produce 30 gallons of milk per week to provide food for his family and may also provide an income source though the sale of the milk. These marketing skills are taken further when the individual is capable of using the milk to produce more goods, such as cheese. The cow’s manure can also be used as a fuel source by using its methane emission. Additionally, in accordance to Heifer’s mission, every petitioner is required to “pass on the gift.” With the cow donation, once it gives birth to a calf, the petitioner must gift it to someone else of his/her community. Doing so provides for the growth in community welfare and economic development.

This mission of self-sustainability and resourcefulness was manifest when touring the headquarter building of the organization, a tour led by Joanne Willson.

As a Platinum LEED Building, it is among the most environmentally friendly of buildings in the whole world (only 50 structures in the US have this designation). Every single architectural feature of the building is in accordance with their mission. Their roof is slanted to collect rainwater in a pool located within the building which is then used for various uses within the building. In a similar fashion the parking lot is covered in porous gravel, which allows harmful chemicals to be filtered out, allowing the water to be re-used as, for example, irrigation water. In all, the Heifer International headquarters collects 25 thousand gallons of water. Consequently, the headquarters requires no city water services, with exception of water used for drinking and hand washing. The design also allows for the sun to provide light within the building to minimize the use of artificial light. This natural light is also reflected through the use of tin (reflecting) ceiling. With the various other infrastructural modifications, the building is able to use less than half the electricity a normal building of its size would use.

When the tour of the building was concluded, we all wandered through the unique gift shop that includes many products made from areas where Heifer International helps. The gift shop offers unique buys such as paper and notebooks made from elephant dung, goat milk lotions, and many more!

In our trip to Little Rock, no activity has offered me more of a sense of passion than Heifer International. It is not enough to believe in a noble cause, it is necessary to act upon it and ensure that it will live on through the ages. Its determination to teach self-sustainability and to “pass on the gift” is inspiring.

Filled with inspiration, we decided to venture into a part of Little Rock that only Professor Yawn and Alex had seen before, the Old Mill.

Known as the last surviving set of “Gone with the Wind,” the Old Mill’s natural beauty was picturesque even during the dreariness of February. The lighting was perfect for photographs…

…and we took advantage of our opportunities to create memorable group photos!

The park has various settings surrounding the mill for photographs. There is a “well…”

…various rock formations…

…a big bridge…

…and a small bridge…

Oddly enough the Old Mill is located in the center of a nice neighborhood, but was built in 1933 as a replica of an abandoned water-powered grist mill. We enjoyed this stop and had fun amidst the chilly weather!

With the sun setting but not yet ready for dinner, we headed to the “Big Dam Bridge.” This was a nice walk up on–as its name suggests–a large dam.

Although it was late at night and the lighting was low, the sight was impressive, but with stomachs rumbling and grumbling, we decided that it was time for dinner, turned, and headed for our last excursion of the day.

For dinner, we chose to go a fancier route in a restaurant called the Copper Grill. Although it seemed like we’ve had enough meat for the day at the Whole Hog Cafe, it didn’t really stop us from ordering meat-based meals again…

…though we did try some seafood as well for a little bit of variety. Our meal took an adventurous route for those of us who tried oysters for the first time before our entrees arrived. The mushroom stuffed chicken, ribeye steak, bacon avocado burger, bacon wrapped shrimp, mushroom stuffed ravioli, and flat bread all looked appetizing when they arrived at our table (and they tasted as great as they looked!).

Most of us made sure to save room for the chocolate bread pudding topped with ice cream that we had for dessert…

…which Alex, Mitch and I thoroughly enjoyed. It was a wonderful way to top a wonderful day.

Law, Art, and Pork: The Heart of Little Rock (Day 2, Morning Edition)

After a quick coffee stop to help wake us, we were fortunate enough to visit the Supreme Court of Arkansas.

We met with the public education coordinator, Cara Fitzgerald, who earned her law degree from Southern Illinois University and who passed the bar in at least three states!

She started the tour by teaching us more about the history of the building. Like the Old State House, the Supreme Court building has undergone changes throughout the years. The first building to house the Supreme Court was actually The Old State House, the second is at the location it is now and then it was remodeled a third time, which is the current building that houses both the Supreme Court and the Appeals Court.

We continued the tour of the west wing, where they display the portraits of the previous justices who have served on the Supreme Court…

…and as we moved along we were shown the portraits of all seven presiding justices. The first thing that stood out to some of us was that the majority of the Justices currently on the Supreme Court of Arkansas are women.

After learning more about the current Justices and the recent death of their Chief Justice, Ms. Fitzgerald introduced us to Associate Justice Robin F. Wynne who joined in on the tour! Once in the courtroom, we introduced ourselves to Justice Wynne and he then introduced himself and told us about his journey to becoming a Supreme Court Justice.

He then asked us the simple most important question that he asks all of his students, “Why do you want to be an attorney?” Many of us had not been asked this question before, which led us to really reflect on why we wanted to go down that career path. Our answers to the question ranged from helping people and having a say in our society to solving puzzles and upholding the law.

After Justice Wynne was able to get to know us more based on our answers, he and his law clerk, John Webster gave us great advice on how to get the best out of law school.

John Webster explained to us exactly what a law clerk does and why, if we get the chance, it is an opportunity to take advantage of in law school. They also explained to us what they look for in applicants for their office, and one of the most important things was a “hook”. Justice Wynne explained that he not only looks at grades, but also the substance of the applicants’ character. After the very informational discussion with Justice Wynne and Mr. Webster, they took us on a very personal tour of his office where he explained what his typical week at the office consists of. Oral arguments are on Thursday; opinions are on Wednesday; and Monday and Tuesday are much-needed reading days. Each justice is assigned five cases a week and one of those is considered a primary case in which they take a leadership role. After discussing this process, he showed us the conference chamber where the seven justices meet after oral arguments to talk about the reasons they dissent or support each others’ opinions.

Justice Wynne even let us take a picture in the conference chamber with him!

After the private tour, we asked Ms. Fitzgerald how often tour groups get to go up to see the Justices offices and the conference room, to which she replied that she couldn’t recall it ever happening before! We were all extremely grateful for the hospitality that Justice Wynne showed us while teaching us an immense amount about the ins and outs of the Supreme Court of Arkansas.

During the last portion of the tour we dressed in black robes and acted as Justices of the Arkansas Supreme Court. The tour of the Supreme Court of Arkansas was an amazing way to learn more about the court system, and left us all in awe of how great of a time we had while we were visiting. Once everyone had their turn banging the gavel, it was time to go onto our next adventure.

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Our next adventure was the Arkansas Arts Center. Although not as large as the major Art Museums, they have a nice permanent collection, much of which was donated by the Rockefellers (Winston Rockefeller was Governor of AR in the 1960s). The collection contains works by Miro, Picasso, and Monet…

…among many others.

This time, however, the real treat were the special exhibits. One featured the photography of Dortothea Lange, the photographer who captured the Great Depression and the plight of the migrant workers so perfectly.

Another exhibit featured the work of Charles Burchfield, who focused on the mixed blessings of urbanization.

Both art collections were created near the same time period, but they were very different in medium and subject matter. Charles Burchfield’s art depicted “Industrial Beauty” using watercolor paints. Black Iron, the exhibit centerpiece, was inspired by the port of Buffalo on Lake Erie.

According to the exhibit, Burchfield saw the bridges as part of an industrial complex spewing poisonous chemicals into the river; yet he found the massive structures irresistibly beautiful.” The paintings and drawings used darker colors to convey emotion.

Dorothea Lange is known for her black and white photography during the Great Depression Era. Each photograph captured emotion that strikes viewers immediately. Her works had great impact on legislation during the time period and even in the way films depicted people of the Great Depression Era. One of her most famous photographs, Migrant Mothers, was showcased along with a variety of other photos that were new to many of us.

Each person left with a favorite photo from her collection.

A third, smaller special exhibit featured the work of Nathalia Edenmont, who makes dresses from flowers and other produce.

This theme tied into a discussion Megan and I have had in our art class, which revolved around the question of whether the Ag Department’s “Floral Design” class should be considered an art class.

The Arkansas Arts Center was the perfect place to learn about a large variety of art because it explained the distinguishing characteristics of each genre. The art ranged from small, detailed, and complex paintings to intricate, colorful, and sometimes puzzling statues.

Overall, the LEAP Ambassadors enjoyed gaining new knowledge of art in Arkansas.

Lunch was a treat for us avid meat-lovers as we decided to fill our stomachs at The Whole Hog Cafe, a LEAP Center tradition. Catering a country style atmosphere while offering a variety of award-winning meat (as indicated by the line of trophies displayed near the entrance of the cafe), we knew we were going to be satisfied! To get the most out of our experience, we ordered three plates of The Ultimate Platter, which consisted of pulled pork, beef, chicken, ribs as the main course, and coleslaw, beans, potato salad, and rolls as sides.

Enhancing the overload of finely cooked meat were the six diverse choices of barbecue sauces, ranging from sweet to spicy to slightly tangy.

Each sauce was unique and each person had a chance to pick a favorite. The top three according to our collective preferences were Sauce No. 1 (sweet, mild, molasses flavor), Sauce No. 3 (spicy, traditional tomato, vinegar flavor) and Sauce No. 5 (sweet, heavy, molasses flavor) tied for 2nd place, while for third was Sauce No. 2 (a less spicy version of Sauce No. 3). We also indulged in the best (according to Alex) chocolate brownies for dessert. The service, the platter, the BBQ sauces and the fun conversations that filled our table made for a great experience at Whole Hog Café.

Learning in Little Rock: Day 1

After a filling breakfast at River Market, we got our morning off to a bang by touring the Arkansas Governor’s Mansion. There, the Mansion’s tour guide, Ms. Carolyn Eastham, welcomed us warmly. The tour of the three-story Arkansan home commenced in the Grand Foyer…

which featured an 18th-century chandelier from Paris, France, and an oversized rug displaying the seal of the State of Arkansas. Interestingly, Ms. Eastham noted that the original rug actually had to be replaced as it was damaged by former Governor/President Bill Clinton’s cat.

My favorite part of the Governors Mansion was the way that the additions to Mansion were added. The back of the mansion is an atrium which connects the old Mansion to the Grand Hall built in 2003, and showcases the original brick wall and patio of the original Governor’s Mansion that couldn’t be torn down during construction because it is a historic landmark.

Among other things, it was where Bill Clinton announced Al Gore as his running mate in 1992.

Even more impressive was the Grand Hall…

which features a staircase covered with a carpet runner that highlights woven symbols of the State and the names of the eleven governors who have lived in the Mansion.

In the Grand Hall we stood under a grand chandelier that highlighted the important aspects of Arkansas, such as the bumblebee, stars and two raw diamonds. Outside, we were greeted with a tundra-like chill, as Mitch would call it, but that didn’t stop us from exploring the vast flower, vegetable, and herb garden that the Mansion manages as well as the tiny replica of the Mansion, which amusingly stood only a couple of inches taller than me.

Through the various fine furnishings adorning the Mansion such as the 17th Century Irish grandfather clock (which still keeps time precisely), the plethora of art pieces embellishing the walls like the painting of the Arkansas’ traveler legend, and the symbolic items garnishing residence such as the 62-piece silver set, we were introduced to the rich history of the Mansion’s early years and its continuing legacy. Even though the official tour was over, we were able to get a nice photo on the grand stairway that greets visitors to the home…

Regrettably, we did not run into Governor Asa Hutchinson or any of his family, but nevertheless, visiting the Governor’s Mansion was definitely a great way to start our first day in Arkansas!

Editor’s Note: After the tour, Ms. Eastham came up to me and said, “Your students are true ladies and gentlemen, and that compliment comes from a teacher of manners.”

After our grand tour of the Governor’s mansion, and mini mansion, we made our way to another one of Little Rock’s historic treasures, The Old State House. The Old State house was the original state capitol of Arkansas, and today it is museum that holds many of Arkansas’ memories. Arkansas’ induction into the Union, the vote of succession from the United States, medical research, two acceptance speeches by the President of the United States, and even a (Bowie) knife fight between two sitting legislators are some of the story’s that echo down the halls of The Old State House.

While wandering through the museum, we ran into the programmer of The Old State House whose brother actually graduated from Sam Houston State University! He was excited to have us there and told us background stories, including the rumor about the law, justice and mercy statues that were atop of The Old State House being removed by the women of Arkansas and thrown into the river because their attire was too risqué. We also learned that the Old State House is the oldest capitol west of the Mississippi and much about its Greek revival architecture. The Old State House Museum showcased things from History to clothing worn by previous first ladies Arkansas (and even Bill Clintons running shoes!).

After learning about the Old Statehouse, we headed to the River Market, a food court filled with variety that is overlooking the Arkansas River, to break for lunch before our tour of University of Arkansas – Little Rock Law School. Although we had many options to choose from, we agreed to eat at Tokyo, while Professor Yawn decided to eat a different cuisine and enjoyed gyro. The group sampled a variety of sushi, rice, and teriyaki plates, and some tired fruit juices from Thailand. Each were delicious and enjoyed by all. The River Market was a unique place to visit because of the local variety it offered within the River walk district.

Once we were finished with lunch, we went for a tour of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Law School. We walked in and were immediately greeted by the admissions office.

We were later introduced to the Assistant Dean of Admissions Matthew Kerns, who was really helpful and gave us plenty of advice regarding the admissions process. He specified what they look for in letters of recommendation and personal statements.

After the advice from Dean Kerns, we met with Eruore, a 3L student, ambassador for the UALR Law School, and our tour guide for the day. She began by walking us to a law class where all the fun began. We walked in and took a seat just minutes before the class began. During that time some of us had the opportunity to talk to the people sitting next to us and try to get advice for law school and maybe even again, for the admissions process.

We sat in a Civil Procedure class taught by the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Theresa Beiner. The class began by discussing experts at trial.

The class went over the ins and outs of how, when and why to use expert witnesses at a trial. As the class proceeded, I noticed that Dean Beiner was conducting her class in a Socratic method which we had been exposed to before at the Mock Law Class held at SHSU. The class moved on to learn about physical and mental exams and we watched as the class reviewed a couple of Supreme Court cases to learn how the law applied to such cases. Watching the class was interesting and exciting because Dean Beiner was very passionate about teaching her students.

The last topic discussed was how to and when to use a request for admission and motion to council.

Before we even knew it, the class was being dismissed, and Dean Beiner invited us to stay afterwards for a few minutes to discuss our thoughts about the class and ask any questions. During this meeting we learned about the structure of the degree plan and possible internship opportunities available to students. We also learned that UALR Law School is one of the lowest tuition rates in the country. Another very interesting fact to us was that they don’t grade as A, B, C’s, instead, their grading system grades as 4.0, 3.9, 3.8 and so forth.

After this brief meeting, it was time to get back to our law school tour with Eruore.

The school is six floors and each floor has something particularly unique. The 6th floor is specifically reserved for the law review room and a small gym while the second floor was reserved for the law library. After touring the whole school, talking about the organizations and services, and a very informational and exciting class, we went back to the admissions office for informational flyers to take home with us.

After an interesting day at the governor’s mansion and University of Little Rock Law School, we wanted to explore the city. We booked a Segway tour that unfortunately fell through, but that didn’t stop us from exploring Little Rock! We started our exploration at the Clinton Presidential Library…

and although that’s on the itinerary for tomorrow, we learned some of the architectural meaning of the building and got some great photos around it! The library is near the the River Market area, to which we returned…

…amidst an amazing sunset…

…and explored the Junction Bridge…

We also went to the sculpture garden, music park, despite it being very cold out! We also played on a river-walk playground that Little Rock features to great effect. There is a jungle gym…

…a tunnel system, which we climbed in…

…and out of…

It was great enjoying the sunset while doing some fun activities. Before we headed to dinner the group headed up for the tallest bridge.

It was an amazing view of the Capitol at night…

…and the River Market…

Even after seeing everything and working up an appetite, we couldn’t resist taking a last look at the bridge…

…and one more posed photo…

Having seen the river area for the third time that day, we turned toward Midtown in search of food.

To satisfy our appetites, we decided to indulge in DamGoode Pies. With high expectations, we were eager to find out what makes their pizzas so yummy! We ordered the Damgoode Trios to sample their popular appetizers. Each piece of bread was garnished with toppings such as bacon and jalapeños, shredded mozzarella and tomatoes, or spinach and meatball. When our pizza arrived, we enjoyed trying a variety of the signature pies. The Hog layered pepperoni, Canadian bacon, sausage, crumbled bacon, and cheddar cheese pizza was a favorite to many of us. We also ordered a Hawaiian pizza, and a Garden Supreme pizza that provided us with a different mix of flavors. Satisfied from a tasty meal, we decided to head back to the hotel to prepare for our next day in Little Rock!

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