Former U.S. Attorney Paula Casey retires from UALR Bowen School of Law

Former U.S. Attorney Paula Casey has retired from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock after spending nearly four decades as a lawyer, professor, and dean.

Casey, interim vice provost for research and dean of the graduate school at UALR, retired June 30.

Casey spent the majority of her career at the UALR William H. Bowen School of Law teaching legal skills and serving as the trial team coach. She has taught at the law school since 1979 and, for many years, was its longest serving faculty member.

Casey taught at Bowen from 1979 to 1993, having worked as the supervisor of Bowen’s clinic for law students. From 1986 to 1991, she served as the associate dean of the law school.

She was appointed as the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas by President Bill Clinton in 1993 and served in that capacity until 2000. During Casey’s time as a U.S. attorney, the FBI recognized her four times for special achievement, and in 1997, the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force gave her a meritorious achievement award.

Casey rejoined the Bowen faculty in 2001, when she began coaching the school’s trial competition team, including the team that advanced to the championship rounds of the National Trial Competition in 2009.

In 2012, Casey was named the interim dean of the law school, becoming the first woman to serve in that capacity. She retired as the interim vice provost for research and dean of the Graduate School, a position she held since 2013.

“Paula is well-known and respected by her peers both on and off campus,” said UALR Chancellor Joel E. Anderson, who retired June 30. “She was highly regarded as chief counsel and legislative director for U.S. Sen. Dale Bumpers and as the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas. Then she topped off her career in two deanships — at the UALR Bowen School of Law and the UALR Graduate School. We are truly indebted to her for her service.”

“Paula Casey is an Arkansas gem who enjoyed a career to which we should all aspire,” said Michael Hunter Schwartz, dean of the Bowen School of Law. “She was an outstanding public servant, a tenacious U.S. attorney, a beloved colleague, and a wildly successful academic administrator.”