Member Newsletter January/February 2021

January/February 2021

MEMBER NEWSLETTER Periodic E-Newsletter Focusing on Arkansas Bar Association Members

ARKBAR HAPPENINGS January 2021 MONDAY

SUNDAY

24/31

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TUESDAY

26

WEDNESDAY

27

THURSDAY

28

Free LPM CLE for members— Security is Only the Weakest Link Noon-1:00p

ArkBar Leadership Applications due Jan. 31

SATURDAY

FRIDAY

29 Special

Meeting of the Board of Trustees Legislation Committee@ Noon

30

Jan. 29 YLS cosponsor virtual event—Name and Gender Mark Change

February 2021 1

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4

5

Mid-Year Meeting

7

8

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Family Law

Probate & Trust Law

Tax Law

Trivia Night

10

11

6 Elder Law

Board of Trustees Mtg.

12

13

Legislation Committee@ Noon

14 We ❤ Our Members!

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17

New issue of The Arkansas Lawyer magazine mailed this week

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24

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Protecting Your Personal Injury Client’s Govt. Benefits CLE Webinar Noon-1:00p

25

19

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Legislation Committee@ Noon

26

27

Legislation Committee@ Noon

28

ArkBar Lawyer Legacy Awards due Feb. 28

Joint Award Nominations Due March 4 Click here for more information.

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Oyez! Oyez!

Bilenda Harris-Ritter, State Attorney for the Arkansas Department of the Military and the Arkansas Army National Guard, received the Arkansas National Guard Judge Advocate General Corps Award for Excellence in Legal Assistance for 2020. She previously received this award for 2019 and is the only person to have received this award two years in a row.

Adrienne Griffis of Dover Dixon Horne has been elected to partnership. With her promotion, the firm now stands at 14 partners.

Jordan Bates-Rogers has been selected to lead the Arkansas Access to Justice Commission and Foundation effective January 1, 2021.

Skye Martin joined the Board of Directors for Pulaski County CASA.

Steven W. Quattlebaum of Quattlebaum, Grooms & Tull PLLC has been elected to the position of National Vice President of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) beginning in 2021.

Swann

Ernst

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James, House, Downing & Lueken, P.A. announced that Charley Swann is now a partner and its new name is James, House, Swann & Downing, P.A. The firm also announced that Carla Miller has joined the firm as an attorney.

Cross, Gunter, Witherspoon & Galchus, P.C. announced that, effective January 1, 2021, attorney George R. Ernst was promoted from Associate to Director of the Firm. The firm also announced that Michael J. Berry has joined the Firm as an Associate Attorney.

Friday, Eldredge & Clark, LLP has elected four new partners (pictured top to bottom, l to r): Kathy McCarroll, Joshua C. Ashley, Katie M. Eaves and Michael McCarty Harrison.

The firm also announced that Michael S. Moore has been appointed practice group leader of the Labor and Employment Practice Group and a member of the firm’s management committee.

Mitchell, Williams, Selig, Gates & Woodyard, P.L.L.C. has named attorneys (pictured top to bottom, l to r) Wade Bowen, Ashley Gill, David Koehler, Graham Talley, Jordan Wimpy and Lauren Ybarra as members of the firm effective Jan. 1.

The firm also announced that Jordan Wimpy has been selected to the Environmental Regnier Orcutt Miller Law Institute’s Emerging Leaders Initiative and that Anna Regnier has joined the firm as an associate in the Rogers office, Amanda Orcutt has accepted membership to the International Association of Defense Counsel, and Stuart Miller was appointed State Committee Chair for the International Association of Defense Counsel.

Send your oyez to ahubbard@arkbar.com

Oyez! Oyez!

Wright Lindsey Jennings announced the addition of two associate attorneys to the firm’s Little Rock office: Collins Hickman and Hickman Howlett Shelby Howlett. Hickman is a member of the WLJ business litigation team and Howlett has joined the labor and employment team.

PPGMR Law, PLLC announced that its Little Rock office moved to a new location in downtown Little Rock’s Heritage West Building. The new address is 201 E. Markham Street, Suite 200, Little Rock.

The Arkansas Bar Association is your advocate at the State Capitol.

ArkBar’s new #MoreThanALawyer campaign highlights all the ways Arkansas Bar Association lawyers impact lives within and outside of their profession. ArkBar lawyers are volunteers, mentors, authors, musicians, church leaders, and committed advocates for their communities outside of the practice of law and we want to spread the good word. In all of these roles, they make a difference in their community. We will share a #MoreThanALawyer story on ArkBar’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages.

Do you know an ArkBar lawyer with a great story to share? Entries must include the nominee’s name, contact information and a short description of why you feel this person should be featured on our #MoreThanALawyer campaign! Self-nominations are encouraged!

Nominate a #MoreThanALawyer by emailing ahubbard@arkbar.com.

Click here to watch ArkBar President Paul Keith’s video announcing the #morethanalawyer campaign.

Click here for more information on #morethanalawyer.

ArkBar’s first #MoreThanALawyer is Judge Laurie Bridewell Steele. In addition to being elected to serve on the bench for the 10th District, Division 2 for Ashley, Bradley, Chicot, Desha and Drew Counties starting this year, she was recently ordained an Episcopal Priest. She is pictured here with her husband Gibb Steele, and her sister and brother in law, Elizabeth and Kyle Smith.

Judge Steele is also currently serving on the ArkBar Board of Trustees. Thank you to Judge Steele for all you do for the profession and your community!

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Upcoming ArkBar CLE Webinars Thursday, January 28 — FREE FOR MEMBERS Noon - 1:00p Security Is Only As Good As The Weakest Link Legal Tech Security Measures Every Lawyer Must Take

Presented by Affinity Consulting Members register at www.arkbar.com/practice-link Rule 1.6(c) stipulates that a lawyer must make reasonable efforts to prevent the disclosure of confidential client information. The comments to Rule 1.6 require lawyers to act competently to safeguard client information and use reasonable safety precautions when transmitting a client communication. The exact meanings of “reasonable efforts,” “act competently” and “reasonable precautions” may be subject to debate. However, doing nothing certainly won’t meet the standard.

The good news is that you don’t have to be a security expert or techie to protect yourself and your office. Learn how to cover all the bases of computer, smartphone, tablet, email, wireless and document encryption. We’ll also cover the fundamentals of backing up your electronic data. Half of the battle is simply knowing what questions to ask, and it’s not nearly as complicated as it sounds. Establish best practices in your office and discover the inexpensive or free tools that will make sure your confidential information remains confidential.

Thursday, February 18 Noon - 1:00p Protecting Your Personal Injury Client’s Government Benefits

Presented by John Rainwater, Rainwater, Holt & Sexton Every lawyer who handles personal injury cases needs to understand the different types of public benefits (Medicaid/SSI, Medicare/SSDI, etc.), and how to protect them (Special Needs Trusts, Medicare Set-Asides, etc.).

Thursday, March 4 Noon - 1:00p (ETHICS) Attorney’s Fees and Fee Agreements in Arkansas

Presented by Stark Ligon, Chief Disciplinary Counsel of the Arkansas Supreme Court Office of Professional Conduct and Executive Director of the Committee on Professional Conduct Understanding the different types of fee arrangements available to attorneys; complying with AR Rule 1.5 on fee agreements; drafting sound and comprehensive fee agreements; consequences of attorney conduct that can impact fee agreements; and dealing with situations where the client does not fulfill the fee agreement.

Thursday, March 11 Noon - 1:00p Focus Groups + Mock Trials = More Predictable Verdicts Presentation

Presented by Sach Oliver We will discuss the process of conducting focus groups and mock trials. We will outline the critical steps that must be taken to ensure accurate and usable information gathered.

Then we will cover how to use the data and information collected in discovery and trial.

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www.arkbar.com

2021 MID-YE AR

VIRTUAL MEETING

February 3-5, 2021 LET'S REACH NEW HEIGHTS TOGETHER AT MID YEAR!

Wednesday, Feb. 3

Thursday, Feb. 4

Friday, Feb. 5

Morning Family Law 3 Hours

All Day Probate & Trust Law 6 Hours

All Day Elder Law 6 Hours

Afternoon Tax Law 3 Hours

PLUS, a fun social event planned for Thursday night, you don't want to miss!

Chance to win prizes.

Board of Trustees Meeting 12:15pm

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Mid-Year Agenda Wednesday, Feb. 3 8:00a - 9:00a

FAMILY LAW Advanced Child Support Issues Under the New Income Shares Model Guidelines Judge Patricia A. James, Sixth Judicial Circuit, Division 11 Gary B. Rogers, Dover Dixon Horne PLLC Judge W. Michael Reif, 6th Judicial Circuit, 13th Division Judge Susan Kaye Weaver, Twentieth Judicial Circuit, Division 1

9:30a - 10:30a Ad Litem

Family Law Case and Legislative Update Bruce E. Tennant, Wagoner Law Firm, P.A. Jack Wagoner, III, Wagoner Law Firm, P.A.

12:00p - 1:00p Ethics

Maintaining Ethics and Professionalism in Virtual Practice Judge Robert L. Herzfeld, Jr., Twenty-Second Judicial Circuit, Division 4 Timothy N. Holthoff, Arkansas Administrative Office of the Courts

1:15p - 2:15p

TAX LAW Common Tax Traps David Biscoe Bingham, Mitchell, Williams, Selig, Gates & Woodyard, P.L.L.C. Katie Watson Bingham, Friday, Eldredge & Clark LLP

2:30p - 3:30p

Income Tax Issues for Trusts and Estates Wade Bowen, Mitchell, Williams, Selig, Gates & Woodyard, P.L.L.C. Ashley Haskins Gill, Mitchell, Williams, Selig, Gates & Woodyard, P.L.L.C.

4:00p - 5:00p

State Tax Update Craig Cockrell, Mitchell, Williams, Selig, Gates & Woodyard, P.L.L.C. Jonathan Nichols, Mitchell, Williams, Selig, Gates & Woodyard, P.L.L.C.

Thursday, Feb. 4 8:00a - 9:00a

PROBATE AND TRUST LAW Trust and Probate Update Katie Watson Bingham, Friday, Eldredge & Clark LLP

9:30a - 10:30a

Charitable Giving Through Estate Planning Alexandra Rodery Rouse, Arkansas Community Foundation

11:00a - 12:00p

Uniform Principal and Income Act and Trust Taxation Alexandra Kosmitis Bowen, Simmons Wealth Management

1:30p - 2:30p

Fiduciary Investing and Market Update Jason Waters, Simmons Wealth Management

3:00p - 4:00p

Agriculture in Trust and Estates David Bridgforth, Ramsay, Bridgforth, Robinson and Raley LLP

5:00p - 6:00p Ethics

Ethics Realities in Trust and Estates Adam H. Crow, Rose Law Firm

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www.arkbar.com

Mid-Year Agenda Friday, Feb. 5 8:00a - 9:00a

ELDER LAW Judge’s Guardianship Panel Judge Robert Herzfeld, Twenty-Second Judicial Circuit, Division 4 Judge Joanna Boyles Taylor, Fourth Judicial Circuit, Division 7

9:30a - 10:30a

Drafting an Estate Plan for Elderly Clients Laura D. Johnson, Cross, Gunter, Witherspoon & Galchus, P.C.

11:00a - 12:00p Ethics

Ethics: Elder Abuse Panel Mike Cude, Senior Living Solutions Chelsy Shields, CFP, Community First Trust Company

1:30p - 2:30p

Issue-Spotting for Medicaid Crisis Planning Collier Moore, RMP LLP Ashley Stepps, Rippy, Stepps & Associates

3:00p - 5:00p

Overcoming Barriers to Medicaid Eligibility Collier Moore, RMP LLP Ashley Stepps, Rippy, Stepps & Associates

TIME TO GET YOUR GAME ON! JOIN US FOR A FUN EVENING OF TRIVIA AND A CHANCE TO WIN PRIZES! THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4 6:30 P.M. LIMITED SPACE AVAILABLE – FIRST 250 ATTENDEES ACCESS TO THE LINK WILL BE AVAILABLE ON THE CONFERENCE SITE

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Thank You to Our 2021 Mid-Year Sponsors!

PLATINUM SPONSOR Click here to learn more about becoming an Annual Meeting sponsor

GOLD SPONSORS

SILVER SPONSORS

BRONZE SPONSORS

CLE SPONSORS

Landmark CPAs Family Law Section Arvest Bank 8

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2021 Mid-Year Meeting

Registration

_____________________|________________________________________________________ Supreme Court ID

Full Name (for membership directory)

___________________________________|___________________|_________|______________ Company Name

Admit Date

Birth Year

County

________________________________________|_____________|_____________|___________ Mailing Address

City State Zip Code

_____________________________________________|______________|__________________ email address (required for seminar communications)

Phone Number

Fax Number

Prices

Member Non-Member

Probate & Trust AND Elder Law Track—12-Hour Bundle ❒ $325 ❒ $425 Probate & Trust Track—6-Hour Bundle ❒ $175 ❒ $275 Elder Law Track—6-Hour Bundle ❒ $175 ❒ $275 Tax Law Track—3-Hour Bundle ❒ $99 ❒ $199 Family Law Track—3-Hour Bundle ❒ $99 ❒ $199

Preferred method of payment is credit or debit card; however, if you need to pay with a check, please download this registration form and ensure it accompanies your check. All check payments must be received by Monday, February 1st. ❒ Check payable to Arkansas Bar Association ❒ AMEX ❒ Discover ❒ Visa/MC ______________________________________ Name (as it appears on card)

____________________________ Account Number

Page 1 of 2 ____________________________ Expiration Date

CVV/Security Code

PAYMENT INFORMATION: Acceptable forms of payment include cash, money orders, checks and credit cards. CASH: Do not mail cash. Cash may be used only for in-person submittals. CHECKS: Please note that we will not accept checks that do not have an imprinted or preprinted name or address of the account holder on the check. For example, we will not accept temporary checks, such as those from a new account. CREDIT CARDS: May be used for in-person, online or faxed transactions. We accept Discover, Visa, Mastercard, and American Express. INSUFFICIENT FUNDS: Any check that is returned to us due to Insufficient Funds will be charged a $50 processing fee. We reserve the right to reject any check due to previous bad checks.

____________________________ Billing Address

____________________________ ____________________________ Signature

Register online at www.arkbar.com/midyear Please return completed form to 2224 Cottondale Lane, Little Rock, AR 72202 or by fax to 501-421-0732.

Questions? Call 501-801-5660 or email jjones@arkbar.com. Payment cannot be accepted by e-mail.

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Member Benefit Highlight

Fastcase Fast Facts

By Cathy Underwood I hope that most of you are getting comfortable with Fastcase 7, which was recently rolled out to all bar associations. ArkBar was an early adopter, so this is the version we’ve been seeing for quite some time. (For those of you not quite yet comfortable with Fastcase 7, no worries; there are no immediate plans to permanently retire Fastcase 6 – although it will eventually go away.)

The newest upgrade to Fastcase 7, the Mars* edition, was rolled out on August 27. Every Fastcase update makes changes to the way the platform looks and performs, but I like some of these changes! This column will focus on some of my favorite new features. * So why is it called Mars edition? I had to find out. Turns out every version of Fastcase 7 has had a planetary theme. The original FC7 was Sol (sun), and the one prior to this new Mars update was Tellus (Earth).

Home Page Visuals: The home page is cleaner and more intuitive, and it uses dropdown menus instead of so many icons. The Browse button is now on a line by itself, making it more obvious. When you click on the dropdown arrow in the search bar, you get options to save the search or add it as an alert, as well as your recent searches and saved searches list. Click on the dropdown arrow in the Jurisdictions & Sources box, and the Search Scope Selector pops up. This is more streamlined and easier to use. The jurisdictions appear on the left, and the types of documents appear on the right. Choose Arkansas – automatically by default all Arkansas content is chosen. You can mix and match any number or choices, both in the jurisdiction selections and the types of documents.

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www.arkbar.com

Docket Alarm Availability: Notice on the bottom right the Search Scope Selector includes briefs, pleadings and orders. These are Docket Alarm materials, which are now available in Fastcase. Docket Alarm requires its own subscription. If you already subscribe to Docket Alarm, you can access 400 million records; if not, you can still search to see what’s out there. (Fastcase gives you three free downloads before it asks for subscription. And of course, you can always purchase a subscription.)

More Fun With Search-Without-a-Subscription: This search-without-a-subscription function is the same way Fastcase handles its other subscription-based materials, such as the ArkBar handbooks. Think about that for a minute. Maybe you have a hard copy of the Revocable Trust Handbook for Arkansas Practitioners. But you’re looking specifically for information about irrevocable life insurance trusts, and you want to locate it quickly.

(The handbooks are moving away from including indices because everything is moving to electronic format.) This functionality allows you to search for your term in Fastcase, even if you haven’t purchased a subscription to the book in Fastcase. Here’s how: • • • •

In your Search Scope Selector, choose “Arkansas” then “books” (don’t forget to click on “save and continue”) In the search box, insert your term “irrevocable life insurance trust” (make sure you include the quote marks here, so that Fastcase sees this as one term; otherwise you will get tons of hits!)

Click on the search icon Your results list shows that “irrevocable life insurance trusts” appears in Chapter 13 (Various Types of Trusts), Chapter 25 (Glossary of Terms) and Chapter 4 (Trust Bibliography).

Alternatively, you could have run your search in all sources, and then filtered down to the Arkansas books.

Changelog: These are just a few of the changes in Fastcase 7 Mars edition. For a complete list of the changes and upgrades, click on the Help button in Fastcase, and choose Changelog. Also, keep this feature in mind whenever you see something in Fastcase that looks different. The Fastcase team is constantly improving the product; this tool tells you exactly how.

Join the Fastcase User Forum in the ACE Community

Cathy Underwood has provided editing services to ArkBar for over 35 years, and provides training to its members on Fastcase and ArkBar Docs.

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CASE STUDY

Arkansas Bar Association Publications on Fastcase The Arkansas Bar Association has partnered with Fastcase to revamp our publications. Deskbooks are now available in new print editions, as PDFs and within the Fastcase legal research system.

How to order: Go to www.fastcase.com/ product-category/arkbar • • •

THE FOLLOWING BOOKS ARE NOW AVAILABLE:

Find the handbook you want, and choose “Select Option.”

Choose from print copy or pdf download, and then add to cart.

Click on “View Cart,” enter your discount code* in the “Coupon” box, and then click “Apply Coupon.”

Note: ArkBar Handbooks are also available through the Fastcase legal research tool for a yearly subscription.

ArkBar Handbooks

Retail Price

Member Price

Arkansas Business Associations Handbook

$275.00

$175.00*

Arkansas Construction Law Manual

$275.00

$175.00*

Arkansas Elder Law Desk Manual

$225.00

$125.00*

Arkansas Probate System

$225.00

$125.00*

Arkansas Workers Compensation Desk Book

$225.00

$125.00*

Guide to Arkansas Statutes of Limitations

$300.00

$25.00*

Handling Appeals in Arkansas

$225.00

$150.00*

Handling Appeals in Arkansas Supplement

$150.00

$50.00*

Revocable Trusts Handbook for Arkansas Practitioners

$225.00

$125.00*

Standards for Examination of Real Estate Titles in Arkansas

$75.00

$45.00*

Call Michele Glasgow at the Arkansas Bar Association at (501) 801-5661 to obtain discount code.

*

Coming Soon: • • • 12

www.arkbar.com

Arkansas Form Book Domestic Relations Handbook Arkansas Debtor-Creditor Handbook

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO

ARKBAR.MEMBERBENEFITS.COM ArkBar Ad - Half Page.pdf

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