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     On November 3, 1992, Arkansas voters adopted Amendment 73 to the Arkansas Constitution. The "term limits Amendment" limited the members of the State House of Representatives to three, two-year terms and Senators to two, four-year terms. By 2000, this Amendment has resulted in significant turnover in the members of the Arkansas General Assembly. One unexpected impact was the decrease in the number of lawyers serving in the General Assembly.¹ In 2000, the Arkansas Bar Association created a legislative task force to examine the legislative program of the Association and to identify the ways in which the Arkansas Bar Association could improve its impact on the law-making process in Arkansas. The decrease in the number of lawyers serving in the Legislature was identified as a growing problem. After much debate and consideration of other potential measures, the task force ultimately recommended the formation of the Ark Bar PAC. The recommendation included the proviso that the funds raised by the PAC should be distributed only to Association member candidates for election to the Arkansas Legislature. The program would hopefully create a pool of campaign funds to be used to successfully elect our peers to office.
     After this proposal was implemented by the governing bodies of the Arkansas Bar Association in 2004, fund raising activities began. Although the total sums raised in 2004 were somewhat modest, the PAC was able to make contributions to nine lawyer candidates in their 2004 campaigns. In 2005, the response has been better but more participants are needed in order to allow the PAC to make a more significant impact for lawyer candidates.
     Some have questioned the stated purpose of the PAC and whether it is needed at all. A recent article in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette questioned a need for such an organization. There is no secret plan for lawyers to assume control of the Legislature. A citizen-based legislature should be made up of a cross-section of society, with members of many different professions and occupations. The life experiences of our legislators allow them to address issues before the General Assembly from many different points of view.
     The concern of the PAC is to attempt to maintain the level of participation by lawyers in the House of Representatives and to improve the participation level in the Senate. The General Assembly adjourned with twenty lawyers serving in the 100-member House of Representatives, a significant increase over the 1999 Session, and two lawyers serving in the thirty-five member Senate. In the legislative sessions in the 1990's, the Senate was populated with fourteen to sixteen lawyers in each Session, many of whom served on the Senate Judiciary Committee. In the 2005 Legislative Session, only one member of this committee was a lawyer. Again, this is not a clarion call for a Senate Judiciary Committee composed of only lawyers. However, on issues which involve the state judiciary and the administration of justice in general, more lawyers should be involved in the process.
     Many articles have been written about the need for lawyers in the Legislature and the roles that are played by these legislators. I commend to you the article by David Matthews in the Fall 2002 Arkansas Lawyer and his "seven good reasons why the presence of good lawyers in the Legislature is essential to our State's future."
     The points made by Mr. Matthews illustrate the unique roles which can be played by lawyers in the legislative process. Our educational background, legal training and participation in the dispute resolution process make lawyers uniquely qualified for service in the Arkansas Legislature.
     Finally, it must be noted that lawyers are the ones who must work with the enactments of the Arkansas Legislature on a day-to-day basis. This should make lawyers' interest in the process self-evident.
     It has been said that in many ways, a PAC is like a business. It is only as successful as the level of support it receives from the people whose interests it has been established to serve. The Ark Bar PAC is in its infancy, therefore, the initial support levels are to be expected. If it is to remain a viable entity, much greater support must be generated from our membership, both in the numbers participating and in the dollars contributed to the PAC. Membership is open to all. Your contribution can be added to your annual membership renewal by checking off a PAC contribution on your membership renewal form. You may also contact the office of the Arkansas Bar Association and sign up for PAC membership anytime.
     I had the privilege to serve as Chairman of the Arkansas Bar Association's Legislation Committee during four sessions of the Arkansas Legislature. I received many calls from our members concerning disbelief that our Legislature could pass ill-advised legislation while our association was supposed to be acting in the role of a watchdog. I repeatedly reminded those callers of the decrease in the number of lawyer legislators and how the advice and counsel of lawyer legislators was not being heard due to the decreased numbers. The same holds true today. If we, as an association, desire to return to the days when lawyers were serving in substantial numbers in the Legislature, we must act. A contribution to the PAC is not an imposition. It is a step in the direction of returning this association to a position where it can effectively make a positive impact on the legislative process in Arkansas.•

1. In the 1999 General Assembly, six lawyers served in the Senate
    and seven lawyers served in the House of Representatives.