October 06, 2023
(LITTLE ROCK, Ark.) Mitchell Williams is pleased to announce that Marcos Perez has been named the Mitchell Williams Legal Diversity Fellow at the University of Arkansas School of Law. Dean Cynthia Nance selected Perez in recognition of his consistent pro bono service, significant leadership potential and his work with the National Hispanic Institute.
Perez is a current staff editor of the Arkansas Law Review. He is the recipient of the Judge Thomas F. Butt Legal Excellence Award in Legal Research and Writing and received the highest grade in his section. His professor named him the "Best Oralist" in the course. Perez was also a Rose Law Firm 200th Anniversary Public Service Fellow and worked on the Summer Judicial Internship Diversity Project for the Honorable Rebecca Rutherford, magistrate judge for the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas. Perez actively volunteers with the National Hispanic Institute Inc. and serves as the educational director of the Midwest Great Debate for the organization. He was a member of the American Undergraduate Moot Court Association from 2014 through 2022 and is a 2016 graduate of the University of North Texas and holds a B.A. in political science.
“Thanks to the support of Mitchell Williams, I will have the ability to assist the University of Arkansas to continue their diversity efforts," Perez said. "As a non-traditional Latino student, I find constant reminders of the lack of access to legal professionals within my community. In this day and age, it is crucially important to increase efforts to diversify the legal community, and I feel privileged to be able to assist with these efforts."
"Mitchell Williams is committed to supporting the University of Arkansas School of Law in its diversity initiatives," said Melissa Bandy, chief diversity officer at Mitchell Williams. "The MW Legal Diversity Fellow is an opportunity to advance diversity in the legal profession through mentorship, recruitment, programming and working with the school's administration to foster a culture of inclusion and belonging. We are excited to support Marcos Perez and his commitment to developing initiatives to support a diverse legal profession."
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About Mitchell Williams:
Mitchell, Williams, Selig, Gates & Woodyard, P.L.L.C. is a full-service law firm providing strategic, comprehensive legal counsel for everything from day-to-day needs to the most complex, specialized business matters. Established in 1954, the firm has offices in Little Rock, Rogers and Jonesboro, Arkansas and Austin, Texas. For more information, visit MitchellWilliamsLaw.com.
About the School of Law:
The University of Arkansas School of Law offers a competitive J.D. as well as an advanced LL.M. program, which are taught by nationally recognized faculty. The school offers unique opportunities for students to participate in pro bono work, externships, live client clinics, competitions, and food and agriculture initiatives. The school strives to identify, discuss, and challenge issues of race, color, ethnicity, and the impact(s) they have on students, faculty, and staff members to achieve a diverse, inclusive, and equitable community. From admitting the Six Pioneers who were the first African American students to attend law school in the South without a court order to graduating governors, judges, prosecutors, and faculty who went on to become President of the United States and Secretary of State, the law school has a rich history and culture.