ArkBar News

The Legal Related Education Committee for the Arkansas Bar Association hosted its third Annual Spend a Day with a Judge contest. The contest, available statewide to all high school students, typically has both an essay contest and a courtroom artist contest. The theme for the essay competition parallels the American Bar Association’s Law Day Theme. Law Day is celebrated annually on May 1st nationwide. This year’s theme was “Advancing the Rule of

Casto Cummings Vangoor Law—Now.” Contest winners are selected in a blind selection process, and are judged based on content, word choice, grammar, and mechanics. Top winners receive prizes which can include cash prizes, a gavel, and/or a certificate and, most importantly, the students get to “spend a day with a judge.”

Contest winners: 1st place: Eva Casto, Maumelle High School; 2nd place: Kenzie Cummings, Bauxite High School; 3rd place: Ananya Vangoor, Bentonville West High School; HM: Cassidy Dodson, Alma High School; HM: Miki Bragg, Home Schooled

Arkansas Supreme Court Chief Justice Dan Kemp spoke with the top three winners on Law Day. Due to the pandemic, this year’s “Day with a Judge” was held via zoom.

Teacher's Law School

The Legal Related Education Committee presented the Teacher's Law School virtually on August 6, 2021. Thank you to the following volunteers for making the annual event another success: Beverly Brister, Chad Cumming, Dr. Angela Webster, Kandice Bell, Dr. Jay Barth, Anthony McMullen, and Courtney Salas-Ford. The program is geared toward civics and law-related topics with instruction from Arkansas lawyers and authors and fulfills six hours of professional development, including one Arkansas History hour.

ArkBar offers free job postings for employers.

arkbar.com/jobs

Membership in one or more of the ArkBar's Sections offers you the opportunity to connect with members in your areas of practice. As a member of a section of the Arkansas Bar Association, you will have access to a section community. This community includes: discussions, resource library, and section member directory.

Thank you to the following members for leading the sections this year!

Administrative Law: J. G. (Gerry) Schulze Agricultural Law: Coleman V. Taylor Business Law: J. Don Overton Construction Law: Ashlea Brown Corporate & In-House Counsel: Will Foster Criminal Law: Lauren Mary Anne Elenbaas Debtor/Creditor: Vanessa Cash Adams Elder Law: Maya Goree Environmental Law: Stuart Larson Spencer Family Law: Brook A. Ware Government Practice: Vincent C. Henderson Health Law: Gabrial D. Mallard Hispanic Lawyers: John Douglas Cortes International & Immigration Law: Misty W. Borkowski Juvenile Justice & Child Welfare: Glen Hoggard Labor & Employment: Melissa McJunkins Duke Natural Resources Law: Shane E. Khoury Probate & Trust: Ashleigh Dale Phillips Real Estate Law: J. Cliff McKinney II Section of Taxation: Adam Reid Solo, Small Firm & Practice Mngt.: William P. Allison Workers’ Compensation Law: Evelyn E. Brooks Young Lawyers’ Section: Payton C. Bentley

New this year! Discounts with

Section Dues If your section hosts a minimum three-hour CLE in-person seminar or live webinar during the 2021-22 bar year, as a member of that section you will be entitled to a $25 discount on registration for that seminar or webinar. On-Demand CLE and Annual Meeting are excluded. Join at https://mx.arkbar.com/ FORATTORNEYS/Sections.aspx

Oyez! Oyez!

ACCOLADES

Cynthia Nance, dean emeritus and the Nathan G. Gordon Professor of Law at the U of A School of Law, received the University of Iowa Hancher-Finkbine Alumni Medallion 2021.

APPOINTMENTS AND ELECTIONS

The United States District Court for the Western District of Arkansas appointed Christy Comstock as United States Magistrate Judge for the Western District of Arkansas. Edie R. Ervin has been named the next United States Magistrate Judge for the Eastern District of Arkansas. Sarah Keith-Bolden of Quattlebaum, Grooms & Tull PLLC has been named a Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America. Joseph R. Falasco of Quattlebaum, Grooms & Tull PLLC has been elected a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation. Milton Fine has been promoted to chief administrative law judge for the Arkansas Workers’ Compensation Commission in Little Rock. Ed McClure, a partner at Matthews, Campbell, Rhoads, McClure & Thompson, P.A., has been elected to the Arkansas PBS Foundation Board of Directors.

WORD ABOUT TOWN

Hall Booth Smith, P.C. announced that Patrick B. Feilke joined the firm as a partner as the firm opens a new office in Little Rock. Caleb Hollinger joined Friday Eldredge & Clark LLP in Little Rock as an associate. Kutak Rock announced that attorney L. Kyle Heffley has joined the firm’s national litigation practice group as of counsel and will be resident in the firm’s Rogers office. Kevin Orr has been hired by Centennial Bank of Conway as the senior vice president-trust manager at the bank. David F. Slade of Carney Bates & Pulliam, PLLC has been elected as a partner in the firm. Hilburn, Calhoon, Harper, Pruniski & Calhoun, Ltd. rebranded to Hilburn & Harper, Ltd. Megan Wells and Kate Davidson have been named partners at Hilburn & Harper Ltd. Wilson & Associates announced that Kate Lachowsky-Khan and Heather Martin-Herron were named partner and Nicole Murray was named Associate Partner. Bill Kincaid, a campus attorney, has been named acting chancellor at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville.

Submit your Oyez! news to ahubbard@arkbar.com. Look for the Oyez feature with photos in ArkBar new Monthly Electronic Member Newsletter. Visit arkbar.com/for-attorneys/publications/member-newsletter. President’s Award Presented to Paul W. Keith

ArkBar President Bob Estes presented the President’s Award to Immediate Past President Paul Keith for his service to the association as president for the 2020-2021 bar year.

Annual Meeting Awards Ceremony

2020-21 Arkansas Bar Foundation President Judge Cindy Thyer and 202021 Arkansas Bar Association President Paul Keith presented the Foundation and Association Joint Awards during the virtual ceremony of the Annual Meeting.

ArkBar 2021-2022 Committee Chairs

ArkBar President Bob Estes appointed the following members to serve as committee chairs. Thank you to all committee members who volunteer their time, talent and expertise to the Association.

Arkansas Bar Commission on Diversity and Inclusion:

Kandice A. Bell Annual Meeting: Kristin L. Pawlik Arkansas Bar PAC: Brent J. Eubanks Audit: Carla G. Spainhour Continuing Legal Education: Ralph E. "Win" Wilson, III

Editorial Advisory Board - The Arkansas Lawyer:

Anton Leo Janik, Jr. Finance: Brant Perkins Judiciary: Bob Estes Jurisprudence and Law Reform: David Biscoe Bingham Legal Related Education: Beverly I. Brister Law School: Harry A. Light Legislation: George M. Rozzell Mock Trial: Adrienne Morris Griffis and Anthony L. McMullen Past Presidents: Brian H. Ratcliff Personnel (Arkansas Bar Association): Mark W. Hodge Practice Closure Task Force: Stark Ligon Professional Ethics: Brad L. Hendricks