Judge Wendell Griffen (’79), an alum of our law school and current Arkansas Court of Appeals Judge, came to speak to 
students at lunch today. His visit was sponsored by Equal Justice Works and BALSA, and the title of his talk was “A View from the Woods.” Judge Griffen expressed concern about the need to protect our liberty, and also fairness in our justice system. He encouraged the audience to uphold the promise of justice. As a reminder of how important that pledge is, he reminded students and audience members alike about how the founders of the United States promised each other as they signed the Declaration of Independence that they would stake their lives on the cause of justice.
We had a number of distinguished guests who came to hear Judge Griffen speak, including Jim Rose, Judge Griffen’s former pastor, Pastor McClarty, and Steve Clark. After the talks there were a number of questions from both our students and the media.
After Judge Griffen’s talk, professor Rob Leflar and I accompanied him over to Ella’s at Carnall Hall where we had a
relaxing and enjoyable lunch. Even though we knew he was actively pursuing his reelection, we encouraged to take time out of his busy schedule to take care of himself. It was good to see Judge Griffen—he was one of the first people I met when I came to Arkansas, and he’s been a long-time friend. I really enjoyed getting to spend that time with him.
Nancecy 