Leading Lawyers

2 • Leading Lawyers • 5.31.2020 Better Together When the current president of the Arkansas Bar Association (ArkBar) Brian Rosenthal was sworn into office in June of last year, he said, "We are going to be creative and do some things differently this year." At the time, he was speaking of the new programs and initiatives he had lined up for the new bar year that runs from July 1 to June 30 of each year. Now, this way of creatively doing things takes on a new meaning in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. When it became clear that the association could not hold its annual bar meeting, one of its great traditions, in-person as it has done for the past 121 years, the bar leadership decided to turn the biggest legal event in the state into a dynamic virtual conference lasting six days – June 8-13, 2020. "is virtual meeting over a six-day period may be the first of its kind in America," Rosenthal said. One of the most anticipated events of the annual conference is the awards ceremony, where members' outstanding service to the association, the profession and their communities is recognized. e awards ceremony will take place virtually on June 10, and several attorneys from Northwest Arkansas will be honored. ese attorneys are recognized on page 12. "It is a great honor to recognize those who have led our association and profession to new heights," Rosenthal said. e virtual conference will feature a welcome address from Governor Asa Hutchinson, the State of the Judiciary Address by Chief Justice Dan Kemp, local and national experts, a virtual exhibit hall, law school luncheons, service events and more. "ArkBar will reveal a new logo during the annual conference that reflects its progressive, inclusive, and diverse association," said Executive Director Karen K. Hutchins. "Additionally, ArkBar is moving forward to meet future state-wide expectations by rolling out its new governance structure at the conference. e new governance structure creates a single Board of Trustees consisting of 15 state-wide districts, which will allow the association to be more agile and responsive as the legal profession meets new challenges." Integrity e association serves as a central point of engagement for participating in pro bono work, educating the public about legal issues and helping to maintain the integrity of the legal profession. Young Lawyers Disaster Pro Bono Projects e Young Lawyers Section of ArkBar recently expanded its Disaster Preparedness Manual to include the Covid-19 pandemic and has partnered with Legal Aid of Arkansas, Inc. on a virtual estate-planning clinic to help people statewide with powers of attorney, advanced directives and wills. Members also volunteer in legal clinics throughout the state, including Wills for Heroes, which assists first responders with estate planning documents; provide free disaster relief assistance when national disasters are declared in Arkansas; and respond virtually to legal questions from the public on AR Free Legal Answers. ArkBar members also create free legal pamphlets for the public, including "18 & Life to Go: A Legal Handbook for Young Arkansans" - a valuable read for all recent graduates. Mock Trial e Association's Law Related Education committee presents the Arkansas high school mock trial competitions. is year, students competed at a regional competition in Fayetteville where teams from Bentonville High School and Springdale Har-Ber High School were recognized as regional champions. A team from Springdale High School also qualified for state competition. Additionally, the Law Related Education committee sends volunteers into classrooms to teach civics throughout the state. Public Service Academy ArkBar is building community leaders throughout the state through leadership training and public service opportunities. ArkBar partnered with the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service to launch the inaugural class of the Public Service Academy held in Little Rock and Fayetteville. e Public Service Academy was established to provide service-minded lawyers the tools they need to serve in both elected office and as volunteers on a local, state or federal level. Fair Administration of Justice ArkBar is moving forward with virtual conferences and new technology benefits. e unbundling of legal services provides the ability to hire an attorney for parts of a legal issue, which in turn offers the public new and more affordable options." ArkBar is the trusted and collective voice of Arkansas lawyers. As part of its mission, ArkBar focuses on improving the legal system in Arkansas, assisting in the enactment of laws, and serving as the trusted and collective voice at the State Capitol. ArkBar is unique in that every bill filed and every law passed directly impacts its members and the practice of law. ArkBar works full time to monitor legislative and regulatory issues affecting the administration of justice and the practice of law on behalf of its members. ArkBar is a voluntary bar association that has served the legal profession since 1898. With roughly 5,300 members, ArkBar continues to represent all of its members by providing services that support the practice of law and promotes the profession, such as furnishing updates on recent case law, and regulatory and legislative changes that directly affect the practice of law. Most recently, the association has focused its efforts to support the profession by providing state, local and national resources to keep the legal profession informed and enabled during the pandemic. ArkBar continues to add technology and practice management benefits to keep its members prepared to meet future virtual practice expectations. Arkansas attorneys have been supporting Arkansas families and businesses across the state for over 120 years. Lawyers pledge to serve the public when taking the attorney oath of admission, and this association provides a unique way for lawyers to do just that. Arkansas attorneys serving Arkansas families and businesses since 1898. "As attorneys continue to serve the public, the legal community must ensure that all Arkan- sans have access to a fair administration of justice," Hutchins said. "It is more important than ever to make legal services easily available and affordable through the use of tech- nology. Virtual law practices continue to expand the ability to obtain legal services more quickly." Karen K. Hutchins Karen K. Hutchins is the Executive Director of the Arkansas Bar Association. She recently celebrated her 15-year anniversary with the association.

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