Editor's Report
VOLUME 31, NUMBER 1 PUBLISHER
Getting Credit for Giving a Damn
Arkansas Bar Association Phone: (501) 375-4606 Fax: (501) 375-4901 Homepage: www.arkbar.com E-Mail arkbar®pita.com
ARKANSAS BAR ASSOCIATION 400 W. Markham little Rock, Arkansas 72201 EDITOR
Stacey DeWitt ASSOCIATE EDITOR, LAYOUT & DESIGN
Sara Lalldis EDITORIAL BOARD Thomas M. Carpenter Susan Goldner Sarah James
AI Schay
OFFICERS President Ha.rry Truman Moore President-Elect Jack A. McNulty Immediate Past President Carolyn Witherspoon Secretary ·Treasurer Daniel R. Carter Executive Council Chair J. Thomas Ray Young Lawyers' Section Chair Denzil P. Marshall, Jr. Executive Director William A. Martin Assistant Executive Director Judith Gray
EXECUTIVE COUNCIL Ray Baxter A. Glenn Vasser R. Scott Morgan Steve Shults Charles L. Carpenter, Jr. Stanley D. Rauls Tom Ledbetter Robert R. Estes
Louis B. Jones, Jr. Tom Donaldson Mike Everett Michael E. Irwin Lynn Manning Flynn Mark Cambiano Lynn Williams TIIt~ Arkansas Lawyer (USPS~) is published quarter~ Iy by the Ark..1.ns."lS Bar Association. Periooicals postage paid at Little Rock. Arkan!>.l::'. POSTMASTER: send address changes to Tile ArkallStlS Ltlwyer, 400 West Markham. Lillie Rock, Arkansas 72201. Subscription price to I\on·membcrs of the Arkansas 13M Association $15.00 per year and to members $10.00 per ye.lr included in annual dues. Any opinion expressed herein is tholt of th€> author. and not necessarily thai of the Ark.lns,ls Bar Association or TIlt' Arkmlsas Lawyer. Contributions to TIll' ArkanSllS L.awyer are welcome and should be sent in two ropiL>S to EDITOR. n,l' Ark(/llsas Ltlwyl'r, -400 Wesl Markham, Little Rock, Arkansas 72201. All inquiric:.. regarding adwrtising should be sent to 1111' ArknnSlts Lawyer al the .lb<)\'e address. Copyright 1996, Ark.1TlSo.1S Bar Association. All rights rt'SCrwd.
By Stacey DeWitt
A new Jearure appears in this issue. Henceforth we will be highlighting the good works, accomplishments and activities oj local bars around the state. Our first kudos goes to the Cr{1H10rd/Sebastian County BQI: With David Vandergriff as their leader, fifty lawyers formed a volunteer legal service operation to help victims of the April tornado. Theirs is a sincere effort to help the community. Th.ey didn't do it to get recognition; but, as it turned out good publicity was a welcorned by-product. It seems the selfless concerns oj a few did the image of many a lot of good. As some oj )'ou know, th.e mention of attorney image sends me grabbing for the soap box. Certainly, there has been much on the topic in this column. But, I can't resist the opporl!lIlity to encourage others to emulare the example oj our Northwest Arkansas colleagues. Any good trial attorney knows slick presentation will Jail without substantive preparation. Such is also true with the case Jar attorneys. Even the most brilliant ad campaign can't save our reputation. In Jact, it might do more harm than good. Rathel; the image problem will be cured substantively, one on one with good attorneys. As Randy Shock so eloquently put it "we do give a damn." It's time we got credit for it. Our new president Jrom northeast Arkansas, Harry Truman Moore, is on board and he lives his advice to be involved in service. The cover article in this issue is devoted to his upcoming term. Take note of the title "Leading By Example." The idea is one we should all embrace.