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| The Justice Report March 2016 |
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Tyson Executive, District Judge, to Lead Justice Commission
The Arkansas Access to Justice Commission has elected Tyson Foods Senior Vice President for Human Resource Operations Rod Nagel as its Chairperson and reelected Lincoln County District Judge Vic Harper at its Vice Chairperson. Nagel is the first non-attorney and business community leader to serve in a leadership capacity on the Commission.
"Access to justice is core American value, but one that we are not living up to as a society or as a state," said Nagel. A
2011 Commission study conducted in partnership with the Clinton School of Public Service indicates that as many as 95% of family law, consumer, and housing cases have at least one unrepresented person. "This is a problem that requires leadership from all sectors if we are to address it in any meaningful way."
Click
here to read more.
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Help Us Represent Hope on April 7
On Thursday, April 7, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., your online donation of $25 or more to Arkansas Access to Justice through
Arkansas Gives will help ensure that domestic violence victims, veterans, special needs children, and other vulnerable Arkansans get access to legal aid. A bonus pool will stretch your dollars even further. Please help us represent hope for the thousands of Arkansans who rely on the Center for Arkansas Legal Services and Legal Aid of Arkansas each year for justice.
Click
here to donate on April 7.
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Unclaimed or Unidentifiable Client Trust Funds Rule Adopted
The Arkansas Supreme Court has adopted changes to Arkansas Rule of Professional Conduct 1.15 to lay out a mechanism by which attorneys or estates of deceased attorneys can deal with
unclaimed or unidentifiable funds in client trust accounts.
The new provision addresses situations where an attorney, law firm, or estate of a deceased attorney (1) winds up in possession of client or third party funds and the client or third party cannot be located, despite diligent efforts to locate the rightful owner; or (2) is in possession of funds in a client trust account that cannot be traced back to a particular client.
For more information, including links to the opinion and the updated IOLTA Program Guidebook, click
here.
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Thank You to Our Inaugural 6.1 Society Members
Over the last few months, we have kicked off a monthly giving program to support our
Campaign for Legal Aid. Members of the 6.1 Society provide sustained support for the work that legal aid does to ensure fairness and access for all. For more information about the 6.1 Society and a list of our newest members, click
here.
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'Unbundling' Rules Released for Comment
The Arkansas Supreme Court has issued
an order soliciting comments from the bar and public regarding proposed changes to Arkansas Rule of Professional Conduct that would provide guidance for attorneys who wish to provide limited scope representation. The Arkansas Bar Association filed a petition requesting the changes after receiving unanimous support from its House of Delegates.
Also known as "unbundled" or "a la carte" legal services, limited scope representation offers an affordable alternative to clients who cannot afford traditional full-service representation, opens up new business opportunities for lawyers, and facilitates greater efficiency in the court system. The deadline to submit comments is May 1, 2016.
For more information, click
here.
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Bridging the Map
Hendrix College Senior Nigel Halliday '16 recently published a report called "Bridging the Map: The Geography of Legal Need and Aid in Arkansas" through the college's Arkansas Policy Program.
The report, completed in collaboration with the Arkansas Access to Justice Commission, examines circuit court case filings, data on the distribution of practicing attorneys in the state, and legal aid case closing information to assess which areas of the state are most critically underserved when it comes to access to legal help.
To view a complete copy of the report, click
here
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The Arkansas Access to Justice Commission works to ensure justice for all. We do this by researching the unmet civil legal needs of Arkansans, making recommendations to policymakers for evidence-based solutions, encouraging attorneys to do volunteer work for families who cannot afford to pay, and educating the public about the importance of justice for all.
Our sister nonprofit organization, the Arkansas Access to Justice Foundation, manages the state's Interest on Lawyer Trust Accounts Program and coordinates an annual statewide Campaign for Legal Aid. We then make grants with the funds that we raise to the Center for Arkansas Legal Services and Legal Aid of Arkansas, who together represent more than 13,000 clients across the state every year. |
- Fundraising
- Communications
- Capacity Building
- Volunteer Recruitment
- Statewide Planning and Evaluation
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Arkansas Access to Justice | 1300 W. 6th St., Room 110 | Little Rock, AR 72201
www.arkansasjustice.org | (501) 492-7175
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