New agreement provides Centenary students guaranteed law school admission
Qualified Centenary College students now have a guaranteed pathway to law school under a new agreement signed between the College and the William H. Bowen School of Law at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Centenary President Dr. Christopher Holoman and Bowen School of Law Dean Colin Crawford formalized the partnership in a signing ceremony held at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, August 29, in Centenary’s Hall of Fame Room.
Under the new agreement, Centenary students can qualify for guaranteed admission to the Bowen School of Law by earning a bachelor’s degree from Centenary, maintaining a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.4 or higher, and scoring 154 or above on the LSAT within five years of beginning their law studies.
“This is really a path-breaking agreement with the Bowen School of Law,” said President Holoman during the signing ceremony. “I attended our annual activity fair, Campus Connections, earlier this week and talked to one of the students at the pre-law table. She was so excited about this opportunity and for the chance to really talk to the leadership of the law school during their visit to Centenary this week.”
The Bowen School of Law has been recognized multiple times as a Best Value Law School and Top Public Service School by preLaw Magazine. Its capital city location gives students access to engage with government agencies and business institutions as well as some of the top law firms in Arkansas.
“Bowen Law is proud to join Centenary College as our first 4+3 partner outside the state of Arkansas,” said Dean Crawford. “This collaboration reflects our shared commitment to preparing talented students for meaningful legal careers.”
Crawford gave special acknowledgement to Dr. Cragin “Craig” Shelton, a 1971 Centenary alumnus and current Bowen law student, who was instrumental in making the connections that led to the new agreement and was in attendance for the signing ceremony at his alma mater.
Crawford also praised the Centenary undergraduates he met during his two-day campus visit.
“I spent much of yesterday with many of your students in different settings,” said Crawford. “They were so impressive and so eager to learn about law. I really hope we’ll be welcoming them to the Bowen School of Law and look forward to this collaboration.”
The Bowen School of Law guaranteed admission agreement adds to Centenary’s portfolio of partnerships with graduate and professional programs at leading state and regional universities. For nearly a decade, the College has prioritized the creation of preferred and guaranteed pathways in law, medicine, nursing, allied health, pharmacy, and theology, opening doors for Centenary graduates to make meaningful contributions in high-demand career fields.
Centenary students currently enjoy a 90% acceptance rate into law school. For more information about the Bowen School of Law agreement or Centenary’s Pre-Law program, please contact Dr. Amanda Donahoe, Associate Professor of Political Science, at adonahoe@centenary.edu.