ARKBAR GOVERNANCE REPORT ARKANSAS BAR ASSOCIATION’S HOUSE OF DELEGATES AND BOARD OF GOVERNORS REPORT
BY KAREN K. HUTCHINS
The Association’s Board of Governors and House of Delegates met in January. The Board met in Little Rock and the House met in Memphis at the Peabody Hotel. Professional Ethics Committee Chair Brad Hendricks reported to both entities on the committee’s proposed changes to the Rules of Professional Ethics. The Board heard the initial report and recommended the House approve submission of a Petition to the Arkansas Supreme Court to initiate those recommended changes. The House approved the submission of the petition which was subsequently filed with the court. A ruling on the petition has not yet been rendered. The Board has also been extremely active with membership recruitment. Their efforts have resulted in a successful membership drive for this bar year and we applaud their hard work. The Board is considering alternative methods to help drive Association membership among all Arkansas attorneys. In their annual effort to streamline the committee structure of the Association the Board made the decision to disband the Membership Development Committee allowing the Board to continue to diversify recruitment efforts in place of that committee. The Public Information/Find a Lawyer Committee was also disbanded. The Governance Committee recommended to the Board bylaw updates that would allow committee and section meetings to be held “telephonically or through electronic media.” This change will be instrumental to committee and section chairs as they convene their meetings and conduct the business of their respective groups. It is vital to the success of the Association to have full participation of our 32
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membership in supporting the work of our committees and sections. A new member benefit unveiled at the Board meeting was the concept of a CLE Pass. The CLE Pass will allow members to purchase a “pass” that will cover multiple CLE registration fees at a reduced rate versus what would be paid to register for each event individually. Members can take advantage of our “one-stop shop” by adding the pass to their membership renewal for a quick and easy way to get a head start on next year’s CLE requirements. Another great new tool is now available for attorneys considering opening a new practice. “Office in a SNAP–Starting a New Arkansas Practice,” is located on the Law Practice Management, or LPM, page in ACE. SNAP covers topics such as how to start a virtual practice, putting together a business plan, marketing, office technology, and many more. Suggestions for additional topics that should be added to SNAP should be directed to Associate Director Lorrie Trogden. The Association’s Leadership Academy is underway for this bar year. One of the initiatives for the 2014 class was a Wills for Heroes pro bono program to assist first responders by completing wills, powers of attorney and other legal documents. The group helped 75 people and completed almost 300 documents. It was an excellent
example of combining leadership development with community service and we applaud those members who participated. Graduates of previous Leadership Academy classes have elected to maintain the networks established through their shared experience by creating a Leadership Alumni Section. The Board of Governors approved the new section at their January meeting. Amy Freedman will serve as the chair of the new Leadership Alumni Section. The next big event on the horizon is the Association’s 116th Annual Meeting. One of the most publicized trials in 2013 was the George Zimmerman case. This year, Mark O’Mara, who successfully defended Zimmerman, will be the keynote speaker at our Annual Meeting. Mark your calendars to attend all four days of the meeting, June 11-14, 2014. The House of Delegates meeting will move this year to Friday afternoon, June 13, 2014, at 1:00 p.m. at the Hot Springs Convention Center. The Mid Year meeting in January marked the end of more than 15 years at the Peabody Hotel in Memphis. New plans are to return the 2015 Mid Year Meeting to Little Rock on February 19–20, 2015. Full meeting details are still in the planning stage, but efforts are underway to create an event that you will not want to miss. Keep an eye out for more information. ■
KAREN K. HUTCHINS, J.D., CAE, is the Executive Director of the Arkansas Bar Association.