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Proposed Rule Changes & Administrative Order on Artificial Intelligence The Arkansas Supreme Court issued two important per curiam orders addressing the evolving impact of artificial intelligence on the legal profession. Members are encouraged to submit comments by August 1. Proposed Amendment to Rule 5.3 and Preamble of the Arkansas Rules of Professional Conduct Proposed Administrative Order No. 25 – Artificial Intelligence Comments must be submitted in writing to: Kyle E. Burton, Clerk of the Arkansas Supreme Court #News
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Wills for Heroes – Free Legal Services for First Responders Virtual Event | May 31, 2025 | 9:00 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. The Arkansas Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Section and SimpleWill are proud to host the upcoming Wills for Heroes event—a free community service project providing essential estate planning documents to Arkansas’s first responders. Volunteer attorneys will prepare: Simple wills Powers of attorney Healthcare powers of attorney Living wills Who qualifies? Firefighters, police officers, paramedics, corrections officers, probation officers, and members of the armed forces are all eligible for ...
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Har-Ber High School earned a top-ten finish at the 2025 National High School Mock Trial Championship, placing ninth out of 48 teams from across the country. This marks the strongest performance by an Arkansas team in several years and highlights the dedication and talent of Arkansas students in the legal education arena. The competition was held May 8–10, 2025, in Phoenix, Arizona, and was hosted by the Arizona Bar Foundation. Har-Ber High represented Arkansas following their victory at the state championship earlier this year. In addition to the team’s impressive overall ranking, Aaron Oesterle was honored as one of just ten Outstanding Witnesses in ...
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Registration is now open for the 127th ArkBar Annual Meeting, June 11–13, 2025, at Oaklawn Resort in Hot Springs! What’s in store: ✨ CLE sessions on today's hottest topics 🎤 Inspiring speakers to energize your practice 🧘‍♂️ Wellness Room for a mindful recharge ⛳ Golf tournament tradition 🎉 Epic social events and networking Register today! Information on how to reserve your hotel will be sent to you via email within 1 business day of registration. A huge thank you to our amazing sponsors for helping make this event possible! Sponsorship opportunities are still available — it's not too late to get involved! ...
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ArkBar President Kristin Pawlik was honored to join Arkansas Bar Foundation President Vicki Vasser in presenting these prestigious awards at the Arkansas Bar Foundation Annual Fellows' Dinner on April 11. It was a wonderful evening celebrating excellence in the Arkansas legal community! 2025 Annual Award recipients: Outstanding Lawyer Award: William M. Griffin III Outstanding Lawyer-Citizen Award: Richard Donovan C. E. Ransick Award of Excellence: Philip C. Wilson James McKenzie Professionalism Award: George R. Rhoads (Posthumous) Outstanding Lawyer-Humanitarian Award: Elaine Kneebone Outstanding Jurist Award: Judge ...
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Get Involved—Join an ArkBar Committee! Serve on a committee, task force, or special project to support ArkBar’s mission, enhance your membership experience, and connect with colleagues. Whether you're passionate about legal writing or practice issues, there’s a place for you! ✔️ Network & Make an Impact ✔️ Help Shape the Profession ✔️ Choose Your Committee & Sign Up Today 🔗 Click here to explore committees and sign up! #News ...
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ArkBar members-Don’t miss out on 6 FREE on-demand CLE hours! Submit your request by April 30, 2025 , or they’re gone! 📅 Deadline: April 30, 2025 Submit your request now! https://fs2.formsite.com/arkbar/freeCLE/index Claim them before it’s too late! NOTE: Your request for your 6 free on-demand CLEs for the 2024-2025 Bar Year must be submitted by April 30, 2025, requests will not be accepted after this date. Once registration is complete, the on-demand(s) can be accessed through June 30, 2025. Once your registration is completed, you will not be allowed to switch on-demands. You may not carry over hours, all 6 ...
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The Legislation Committee has taken a position in opposition to HJR1015 and SJR13 which are proposed amendments to the Arkansas Constitution or the United States Constitution. HJR1015 is a constitutional amendment to ensure transparency by requiring a judicial candidate to declare his or her political party affiliation or independent status when running for office. SJR13 is a constitutional amendment to allow a candidate for Supreme Court justice, Court of Appeals judge, Circuit judge, or District judge to declare his or her party affiliation or independent status when running for judicial office. The Legislation Committee also voted to oppose ...
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Candidates for District C7 (One Open Seat) Members of District C7 will select one candidate from the following two: • Ledly Jennings • Clay Sexton The candidate with the most votes will secure the seat. Election Timeline Ballots Sent: February 7 Voting Deadline: March 3 Electronic ballots will be distributed to eligible voters in both districts. Make your voice heard—vote and shape the future of our Board of Trustees! #News
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The Arkansas Bar Association is working full time to monitor legislation impacting the administration of justice and the legal profession. The Legislation Committee meets every Friday to review bills of interest on your behalf. Members can Log in to www.arkbar.com to view the Legislative Resources page and click on Bills of Interest to view the bills that the Legislation Committee has taken a position on. #News
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Arkansas Bar Association President Kristin Pawlik today appointed Texarkana attorney Josh Thane to the Bar's Board of Trustees. Mr. Thane will fill the unexpired term recently held by Rep. Carol Dalby, also of Texarkana. The seat became vacant when Rep. Dalby was voted President Elect Designee of the Association. Rep. Dalby will serve as Bar President in 2026-27. President Pawlik welcomed Mr. Thane to the Board and stated she is looking forward to his service and leadership on behalf of the Bar and the legal profession. Mr. Thane is a partner at the firm of Haltom & Doan in Texarkana. He previously served in the Association's House ...
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We are seeking passionate and dedicated members to step forward and shape the future of our organization. Nomination petitions are now open for leadership positions on the Board of Trustees. This is your opportunity to make a lasting impact on the legal profession in Arkansas. Important Dates: • Petition Deadline: January 27, 2025 By joining the Board of Trustees, you will play a critical role in: • Advancing the Association’s mission and strategic goals. • Serving as a voice for the legal community and a champion for our profession. • Supporting governance, fiscal responsibility, and organizational growth. Your commitment strengthens our collective mission ...
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Starting December 3 our new address will be 1401 West Capitol Ave. Suite 170, Little Rock, AR 72201 We are excited to share that our offices will be relocating during the week of December 2. During this time, you may experience slower response times as we focus on ensuring a smooth transition. We appreciate your understanding and patience as we work to settle into our new space. We remain committed to serving you and will respond to inquiries as quickly as possible. Thank you for your support during this brief period of adjustment. #News
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Arkansas Bar Foundation and Arkansas Bar Association Annual Award Nominations DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION: WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2025 Click here for nomination form ANNUAL AWARDS The Annual Awards Committee presents the following Arkansas Bar Foundation and Arkansas Bar Association Awards: Outstanding Lawyer Award : Given in recognition of excellence in the practice of law and outstanding contributions to the profession. Outstanding Lawyer-Citizen Award: For recognition of outstanding participation in and excellent performance of civic responsibilities, and for demonstrating high standards of professional competence ...
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A recording of the October 24 webinar introducing the vLex Fastcase is now available. Click here to view the slides from the presentation. How to access vLex Fastcase Sign into Fastcase as you normally would through your member benefit website. You will then be given the option to access the upgraded platform, vLex Fastcase, or continue to the existing Fastcase 7 service. New Tools and Features #News
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October is Access to Justice month in Arkansas. The Arkansas Bar Association is honored to share the below article by Anna Leggat who wrote about her experience with access to justice while volunteering at a pro bono clinic during her summer as a 1L law clerk. The Power of Human Connections My interest in professional responsibility was greatly strengthened this summer while clerking with Friday, Eldredge & Clark LLP in Little Rock after completing my first year of law school. Every Wednesday while clerking at the firm, we were invited to have lunch with an attorney. This particular Wednesday, we met with a firm attorney who spoke about ...
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Representative Carol Dalby of Texarkana Named ArkBar President-Elect Designee The Arkansas Bar Association (ArkBar) is pleased to announce Representative Carol Dalby as the new President-Elect Designee. Dalby, of Texarkana, was elected without opposition at the close of nominations on October 7, 2024. She will begin her one-year term as President-Elect in June 2025 and will assume the office of President at the 2026 ArkBar Annual Meeting. A long-time active member of ArkBar, Rep. Dalby currently serves on the Board of Trustees and the Law School Committee. She has previously served on the Board of Governors and has been involved in several key committees, ...
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Thank you to Congressman French Hill for inviting the Arkansas Bar Association to discuss what everyone needs to know about the Corporate Transparency Act in a webinar on September 30. President-Elect Jamie Jones discussed the required reporting and enforcement of the Act, the current status of nationwide litigation over the Act, and how to plan ahead for your organization. The deadline for corporations to submit information about beneficial owners is January 1, 2025. To find out how to file, please go to Beneficial Ownership Information Reporting | FinCEN.gov . Click here to view the webinar recording Click here to download the PPT ...
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Please see the below from Alice Neece Mine, the executive director of the North Carolina State Bar, requesting pro bono assistance following the massive flooding in the region last Friday from Tropical Storm/Hurricane Helene. The form to obtain permission for this limited practice is located at the link below. Once registered, they will share your name and contact information with Legal Aid of NC and other non-profit agencies that are working on the legal aspects of disaster relief. They will contact you with pro bono service opportunities. "The situation in the NC mountains is particularly dire right now because, being an inland, mountain region, no one was ...
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In coordination with Fastcase, the Arkansas Bar Association has offered a free legal research member benefit since 2010, providing access to cases, statutes, and regulations. In 2023, Fastcase merged with vLex, a global leader in legal intelligence, raising questions about the future of this essential service. But rest assured: vLex Fastcase remains committed to democratizing the law and enhancing legal research tools. This member benefit will see substantial upgrades in late 2024, with enhanced features, while keeping the service completely free for Arkansas Bar members. Bar members will enjoy free access to a comprehensive legal research platform that includes ...
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