Paula Casey has worked for the University of Arkansas at Little Rock’s William H. Bowen School of Law for about 25 years, and she expects interim dean position to be among her final duties prior to retirement.
Casey was born in Charleston (Franklin County), but grew up in Oklahoma and didn’t return to the state long term until she began law school at the University of Arkansas School of Law in Fayetteville.
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Among Casey’s early jobs was a stint as a public defender in Pulaski County. She was the first woman in Pulaski County to serve as a public defender.
Casey began working as a clinic supervisor at the UALR law school in 1978 and worked her way up to an associate dean position, which she held from 1986 to 1990.
Casey took a leave of absence from the law school from 1990 to 1992 to serve as chief council and legislative director for Sen. Dale Bumpers.
Shortly after, President Bill Clinton appointed Casey as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, a position she held from 1993 to 2001.
She returned to the law school in 2001 to serve as a law professor.
Casey is not a candidate for the dean’s position being vacated by John DiPippa on July 1. She plans to retire from her professorship within a year of the new dean’s selection. She hopes the search takes no longer than one year, Casey said.
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