columns

NOW AS ALWAYS YOUR ASSOCIATION IS SERVING YOU FOR GOOD

By Brian Rosenthal

Constitution Day 2019 at JA Fair High School with Chief Justice Dan Kemp and Beverly Brister, Chair of Law Related Education

Covid-19 resources for lawyers are found at https://www.arkbar.com/covid-19.

Brian Rosenthal is the 122nd President of the Arkansas Bar Association. He is a member of Rose Law Firm in Little Rock.

As I write this column we are all experiencing the unexpected—a global pandemic.

We have learned new words and laws and combined known words into new phrases like “social distancing,” “reopening the economy,” “sheltering in place” and “essential services.”

The crisis has made each of us dig deeply and practice in a new virtual reality (even when in an office or home office). In this crisis we need to join together but are encouraged to stay apart (at least physically).

We have seen the best of us in the way we work together to help each other through volunteer efforts.

The bar’s disaster preparedness task force is expanding its mission (on the heels of a flood), and the bar staff has quickly adapted to new challenges.

Because of our staff’s execution, the bar has an excellent on-demand CLE platform (https://www.arkbar.com/cle/on-demand) and will host its first-ever virtual annual meeting from June 8-13, 2020.

New free programming was provided by the bar on virtual offices, cybersecurity and the CARES Act loan programs, among others. We lowered our on-demand charges to help everyone meet their CLE requirements.

Our theme this year has been the Bar is for Service, for Good and for YOU—help us serve you for good.

This theme is virtually carried forward in our 122nd Annual Meeting titled “Lawyers in Service to Clients, the Courts and the Profession.” This unique offering will include several live-streaming sessions; brown bag law school luncheons; a virtual exhibit hall; live-streamed cooking and exercise classes; an interfaith breakfast and memorial; the State of the Judiciary presentation followed by our traditional swearingin ceremony; and national and statewide speakers. Please support us by registering at www.arkbar.com/annualmeeting/home. Thanks to our many sponsors for supporting our programming!

I ask that each of you stand together with our new leadership from all across our state and allow our association to serve you for good—to do so we ask you to renew your membership. In this difficult financial climate, please contact Karen or me to review payment options including a monthly pay option. Renew online at www. arkbar.com/for-attorneys/membership/membership-application.

As our statewide association, we provide professional governmental relations through Jay Robbins; we research and monitor all cases and legislation through volunteers, staff and a contractor; and we provide access to the latest articles in multiple fields of interest. We also provide free legal research.

This year we will offer six free CLE hours on technology to help as we learn new ways to practice.

Each bar president gets 525,600 minutes to serve (or in my case 527,040—leap year)! So many others have worked hard for our joint success:

From our Emeritus Rule; new governance; new logo (to be unveiled virtually at annual meeting); Public Service Academy (copresented with the Clinton School of Public Service); Arkansas Bar Association’s Legal Hall of Fame (to be presented by Arkansas Business); and all our committees, sections, and programs, our volunteers and staff have shown their commitment, dedication and excitement for our association and profession!

Our Hall of Fame will be an opportunity to tell the powerful, positive stories of what lawyers, judges, academics and groups have done to shape and influence our state. Our legendary first class will soon be announced. The list of luminaries who were not selected shows we have many years to continue to celebrate those deserving and influential from our past until today.

Thanks to the many whose service will benefit and has benefited our organization and profession. Going into next year, Professor Lynn Foster has shown she will be an outstanding Legislation Committee Chair. The Presidents (Suzanne, Paul and Bob) have provided tremendous counsel on our efforts for new emergency orders on electronic notary services with primary drafting assistance by Jennifer Pierce, essential service designation, new graduate proposals, and many other emergency issues. Joe Kolb has worked a double shift as Treasurer and Annual Meeting co-chair with Cindy Kolb—he led the finance committee in a comprehensive program review and evaluation. Bob Edwards and Jennifer Jones helped us reimagine our sponsorship opportunities, which efforts will continue so we provide excellent value and varied options.

Bonnie Johnson and Michael Goswami have provided corporate advice on converting our organization’s corporate structure. Recently, our plaintiffs’ and defense bars joined with our association on input to our courts through a designated court committee on matters of emergency discovery practices. These efforts were facilitated by Brian Brooks, Paul Byrd, Kevin Crass, Alan Lane, Brad Runyon, and Judge Chip Welch.

The Branding Task Force was led on a creative journey by Jeffrey McKinley, and the final product is one in which we will all be proud. Thanks to the efforts of marketing professionals Heather Haywood and Heide Harrell and the services of Mangan Holcomb Partners, I am confident you will love our new logo—everyone who sees it notes it means something to them that by my count was considered and planned for by this amazing volunteer task force.

It has been a privilege to work with and speak to our courts and judges. We are excited to continue to work with Chief Justice Kemp and Chief Judge Gruber and AOC’s Marty Sullivan and Ben Barham. Also, Justice Robin Wynne and the Court’s Karen Steward have worked closely with Paul Keith, Beverly Brister and Mark Hodge on refilming our educational video on the rule of law, which will soon be completed. In addition, our dynamic law school deans have been great supporters all year—thank you Deans Beiner and McCabe!

Our legislative efforts are of course aided by all our attorney members who not only serve as legislators but also serve our association on steering committees and bar committees and speak at our events.

In this small, collegial state we exemplify the best of our profession in the way we collaboratively work. If you want to be more involved, please reach out to Paul Keith (123rd President Monticello/Hamburg) or Bob Estes (124th President Fayetteville) and tell them how you wish to stay or become involved.

My closing remarks are below, but I want you to learn more about these three staff members: Michele Glasgow is from Little Rock and has been with the Association for 20 years. She provides administrative support to the Association’s leadership and works closely with many committees, primarily the Mock Trial Committee. Her favorite pastimes include camping, canoeing, and traveling. Michele has two children and five grandchildren.

Our publications director Anna Hubbard has been with the Association for almost 15 years. She is the editor of The Arkansas Lawyer and works closely with the Editorial Advisory Board. She also creates the Association’s brochures and marketing pieces. She and her

“[I]t has been the honor of a lifetime to serve; I am grateful for the passion for our profession that burns brightly and is shown in so many volunteer leaders and friends.”

husband John Paul live in Little Rock with their three dogs.

We are fortunate to be led by Karen Hutchins who brings her national reputation to serve our state and profession. She leads by example, with integrity, grace and professionalism. Thank you staff and Karen.

I looked for a quote for this final column. All year long I have been inspired by the many volunteers, the support from my law firm (led by Robyn Allmendinger with special assistance from Lisa Robison) and family, our association staff, and the opportunity and challenge of service.

I dedicated this year’s service to my late father Malcolm. This quote in turn is reflective of our association’s staff, who though smaller in number than other states’ staffs, highly achieve for our benefit:

‘[W]hat’s important is to base one’s convictions on compassion for others and an ambitious sense of the possible, to commit to achieving ambitious goals, to plan carefully, to think and write clearly, to work hard, to learn constantly, and to progress always with integrity and sensitivity.” Wendy Kopp, Teach for America. Quoted with permission from The Most Important Thing I Know, published by Andrews McMeel Publishing.

In conclusion, it has been the honor of a lifetime to serve; I am grateful for the passion for our profession that burns brightly and is shown in so many volunteer leaders and friends. This sentiment is evident with Paul Keith and Karen Hutchins—they are strong, caring, able leaders, who along with our new statewide board of trustees will strengthen our 122-year tradition of service.

I hope each of you will stay involved and help the association serve you for good. Wishing you lasting safety and health! —Best always, Brian Rosenthal 