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YLS Public Service Programs Make a Omerence r...-.' ........ aa Marl! Hodge and Paul Dumas If you have been looking for an
opporcunity ro make a difference in the life of a child, you need to look no further. Over the past ÂŁ\.\10 years. members of the Young Lawyers' Section have been reading with elementary students in Lirue Rock. Pine Bluff, and a few other cities across the
state. While the students are benefitting from the one-an-one anemian that their "lawyers" provide, the reading tutors have received an even greater benefit by witnessing the progress of the srudems. The i l l wants (Q expand ilS reading tutOr program [0 all parts of the state
during the 2001-02 school year. There are no complicated requirements or training sessions needed to make the program a success. Instead. all that is needed is a commitment of your time on a weekly or bi-weekly basis, and the desire to assist a
child. Each program across the state will be unique, in that the young lawyers in that community will deal with the elementary school down the Street or across tOwn to set up a schedule that is convenient for both
rhe lawyers and the school. The schools are excited about the idea of young professionals coming in and reading with their students, and they have been as accommodating as possible understanding that most young lawyers have demanding and changing schedules. Over 7S young lawyers have taken parr in the tutoring program at two schools (one downtown and one out west) in Little Rock. The program has received tremendous supporr and recognition from the Volunteers in Public Schools office for
the Little Rock
Public School District.
The participating schools provide all the materials (books. paper. pencils, etc.)
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needed for each session. Most tutors participating in the program in Litde Rock take one lunch hour per week to read with either one or two students. Other turors team up with another lawyer or someone else from their office and read with a student on a bi-weekly basis. Each turoring session takes approximately 20 minures and involves reading a couple of books and writing a sentence or shorr paragraph abour one of the stories. In my experience as a reading turor, I have found that Larry (my student this yeat) is excited to see me each week and is disappointed when our reading time is over. Larry is in third grade. bur he read on low-first grade level when the school year starred. Over the course of this year. Larry has progressed steadily. and he now reads on a second grade level. I have enjoyed getting to know Larry and seeing him become a better reader. I know that my 30 minures or so a week with him is not the reason his reading skills have improved. He has an excellent classroom teacher and a reading specialist that also work with him. But, I am confidenr that our time tOgether is well spent. While I may have taught Larry how to sound our a few words. he has taught me JUSt how valuable 30 minures of my time can be.
The YLS would like to help you become involved in a local school as a reading tutOr. It makes no difference whether you are the only young lawyer interested in your community or whether there are several young lawyers who wam to take part. If you are interested in receiving a YLS information packet or have any questions about the rendi"g tutor program, puase contact Mark Hodge at (501) 372-5800 or mhodge@C1IjInw.com.
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Following (he recent ice swrms in our stale, Arkansas lawyers once again came to the aid of their neighbors by volunteering their time and services to help fellow Arkansans who had fallen victim to these devastating storms. Although that crisis has passed, we know that the next one may be JUSt around the corner. Accordingly, the Disaster Legal Services Committee of the
Arkansas Bar Association continues (Q train new volunteer lawyers who can provide disaster legal services during these times of need. Each year we strive to increase (he ranks of those attorneys who receive this training and can be available when needed. Preparation is the key (Q providing effective disaster legal services and to be fully prepared we simply need more Arkansas lawyers who are willing to step forward and participate 111 this vital project. We would also like to ta.ke this opportunity to commend those Arkansas lawyers who so graciously devoted their time and services recently to assist those in need of legal services following the December ice Storms. Without their dedication and effort. this project would
not be possible. Mark Hodge has bun doing commercial litigation and transactions tit the Chisenhall,
N"mtd andJulian Inw finn in Little Rock fWO ran. He chain rhe lAwym fOr Literacy project ofthe Young Lawyers &etion ofthe Arkansas Bar Association.
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Paul Dumas practices with the Ytzus 6Dumas Law Office in Morrilton. He chairs the Disaster Legal Assistance Project of the Association s Young Lawyers Section. D''''''IIHII<,\1 A ....'d ... I\'\<1 PHO(,H\\I
I \\\ \I H YO! l " I I H...
Vince Chadick Michael Mullane Jim Dunn Tun Cullen Baxter Sharp Jean L."lllgford Comer Boyett Stuart P. Miller Yolanda Dreher MarshalJ Wood Richard T. Donovan Betty J. Demory TIm Sharum C. Brantley Buck Brian H. Ratdiff
William H.
Kennody, III Ann Fain Ron Hope D.P. Marshall, Jr. Kirby Mouscr Mark Mayfield Gutls Hitr Roben Thompson Cindy Thyer Scott Zuerker Michael Langley Roger Ray