Agricultural Law Center research fellows learn, add to deep knowledge base
June 29, 2026
By Mary Hightower
University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture
Fast Facts
- NALC program has had 174 research fellows since 2012
- Learn about the research fellows program online
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FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The National Agricultural Law Center has been a trusted source for answers for nearly 40 years, and its more than 170 research fellows have played an important part in building its deep and publicly accessible knowledge base.
Since 2012, the NALC research fellows program has hosted 174 law students. Some stay for a semester. Others stay until they finish their law programs. Still others, like Brigit Rollins, just stay. Rollins is currently a staff attorney at NALC.
Rollins was attending Lewis and Clark Law School in Portland, Oregon, taking part in a legal clinic called the Western Resources Legal Center when she heard about the research fellow opportunity.
“I was in my second year and applied immediately,” Rollins said. “The summer before, I worked as a law clerk for the California Farm Bureau and found the work both interesting and fulfilling. At NALC, I knew for sure that I would get the chance to work on agricultural law topics.
“Working as a National Agricultural Law Center research fellow is a great option for law students, particularly those interested in how the law impacts agriculture,” she said.
“Not only are the hours flexible — something any busy law student will appreciate — but it also gives students the chance to start working on building the legal research and writing skills that they will need throughout their careers,” she said.
Zachary Gihorski, director of government affairs and sustainability for the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives, said that as a law student, he was introduced to NALC Director Harrison Pittman by Dudley Hoskins, who is now U.S. Department of Agriculture Undersecretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs.
“Harrison and I ended up having what must have been a three-hour phone conversation. By the end of that conversation, he offered me the opportunity to serve as a research fellow during my second year of law,” he said. “I enjoyed and benefited from the experience enough that I continued with the program during my third year of law as well.”
“It was the best internship experience I had in law school,” Gihorski said. “The fellowship gave me the opportunity to work on practical, relevant agricultural law issues not just in theory, but in a way that helped build a stronger understanding of how legal research can serve people directly involved in agriculture.
“For students interested in agriculture, policy, rural issues, conservation, or food systems, it is a great way to develop both subject-matter knowledge and professional confidence,” he said.
Recruiting efforts
When recruiting research fellows, NALC is looking for law students who have just completed or are currently finishing their first year of law school.
“More closely, we look for students who have a demonstrated interest in agricultural and food law along with a high skill level in legal research and writing,” said Elizabeth Rumley, senior staff attorney at the National Agricultural Law Center.
Students research and write articles about topics in agriculture, food and environmental law. Sometimes they are assigned subjects, but they are also encouraged to develop their own relevant topics in conjunction with supervising attorneys.
“During COVID, we had one student who suggested that we needed something discussing force majeure clauses — it's specific contract language that allows a party an ‘out’ in unexpected act-of-God situations,” Rumley said.
“We agreed and worked with him on writing a fact sheet,” she said. “Great idea, very timely and a good resource.”
The research fellows program “is definitely a mutual benefit,” Rumley said. “Students develop knowledge and interest in ag and food law, while the increased staffing allows us to create resources on an accelerated timeline.”
Their work has accumulated in an online library that covers more than three dozen topics with scores of entries.
As for the research fellows, “they’ve all been wonderful in their own way,” she said.
For more information about the NALC, visit NationalAgLawCenter.org and subscribe to receive NALC communications, including webinar announcements, the Quarterly Newsletter and The Feed.
About the National Agricultural Law Center
Created by Congress in 1987, the National Agricultural Law Center serves as the nation’s leading source of agricultural and food law research and information. The NALC works with producers, agribusinesses, state and federal policymakers, lenders, Congressional staffers, attorneys, land grant universities, students, and many others to provide objective, nonpartisan agricultural and food law research and information to the nation’s agricultural community.
The NALC is a unit of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture and works in close partnership with the National Agricultural Library, a subsidiary of the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service. For information about the NALC, visit nationalaglawcenter.org. The NALC is also on X, Facebook and LinkedIn as @nataglaw. Subscribe online to receive NALC Communications, including webinar announcements, the NALC’s Quarterly Newsletter, and The Feed
To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit uada.edu. To learn more about ag and food research in Arkansas, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station at aaes.uada.edu.
About the Division of Agriculture
The University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nation’s historic land-grant education system.
The Division of Agriculture is one of 22 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on three campuses.
Pursuant to 7 CFR § 15.3, the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs and services (including employment) without regard to race, color, sex, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, sexual preference, pregnancy or any other legally protected status, and is an equal opportunity institution.
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Media Contact:
Nick Kordsmeier
Nkordsme@uada.edu