The Arkansas Lawyer Winter 2020

PRESIDENT’S REPORT

THE BAR IS FOR SERVICE, FOR GOOD AND FOR !*

By Brian Rosenthal

Please run for our new Board of Trustees; see page 18. Please vote on our Redistricting Task Force’s amendment to the constitution; see page 19. Please submit your Legal Hall of Fame nominating application by March 16, see page 52.

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

*Thanks to staff member Kristen Frye, who turned in the best-completed slogan. The Bar is for Service, for Good and for YOU!

THE BAR IS FOR SERVICE. Proferred Exhibit 1. Please see our article on Page 30 describing our service theme for this year as captured by the Inaugural Public Service Academy.

Proferred Exhibit 2. The theme for this year’s reimagined Annual Meeting is “Making a Difference; Lawyers in Service to Clients, Communities, and the Profession.” Co-chairs Joe and Cindy Kolb have put together a lineup of speakers including real-life examples of how we as lawyers can offer our unique skills in service to others and make a profound difference for our clients, our communities and our profession.

We are excited to announce this year’s Annual Meeting will include some changes designed to offer a more intimate and personal feel, with spaces to relax and catch up with friends, extended conference-wide breaks and an expanded list of social events.

THE BAR IS FOR GOOD. Proferred Exhibit 3. This item has double meaning. We need your membership for good—as a staple of our profession we need to use our diversity to create a strong, unified voice for our profession.

Proferred Exhibit 4. Our committed volunteers act in so many positive ways. Promoting justice—helping represent veterans and the underrepresented; serving on our boards, our task forces, in our sections, on committees, as legislative witnesses; and in myriad community roles.

THE BAR IS FOR YOU. Proferred Exhibit 5. The staff, leadership and volunteers are at work for you. Would you like to be more involved? E-mail our 123rd President, Paul Keith, who will soon begin his appointment process at: pwk@gibsonkeithlaw. com.

Proferred Exhibit 6. Chaired by Jeffrey McKinley, a creative group including firm marketing and public relations professionals Heide Harrell and Heather Haywood and a lay artist Lange Cheek are working with Mangan Holcomb Partners to help us design a new logo that reflects our progressive, inclusive, diverse association. Bar members Mark Mayfield, Nicole Winters and David Wilson join in this creative process.

Proferred Exhibit 7. Please consider running for one of our new 60 Board of Trustees positions. Your application is due March 31st and elections will commence in April.

Proferred Exhibit 8. We stand together to serve our profession. Our Jurisprudence and Law

Reform Committee (chaired by Jamie Jones and Sean Keith) and our Legislative Committee (chaired by Professor Lynn Foster) with key staff liaison Jay Robbins propose, analyze and consider legislation impacting the profession and public. The Legislation Committee reviews every bill and resolution for its impact on you.

Proferred Exhibit 9. Our benefits are for you. Find them at www.arkbar.com/for-attorneys/ membership.

Our Bar is for Service, our Bar is for Good and our Bar is for You—help us serve you for good!

Our successful Mid-Year Meeting required many volunteer hours. Please take time to thank our Mid-Year planners when able. They are: Chair Sarah Jewell; Immigration Law Kathleen McDonald; Family Law Angela Mann and Leslie Copeland; Probate & Trust Dan Young and Section Chair Dee Davenport; Elder Law Steven McClelland, Jennifer Glover and Caroline Currier.

Finally, the winner of our cartoon contest is shown on page eight. Send a caption for our next cartoon by April 15, 2020.

Meet three members of our staff. The newest member of our Association’s staff, Cynthia Barnes, Office and Data Administrator, will celebrate her first anniversary in February. She assists with CLEs and is the

first and last person you will see on entering and leaving the Bar Center. She is the mother of twin daughters and, according to her unbiased opinion, Grammy to the two most adorable grandsons known to humankind. A selfproclaimed foodie, she unselfishly makes herself available for taste testing family, friends and associates’ dishes. Her interests are varied: reading, cooking, music, etc., but has yet to find a true passion. However, if or when she does, she has agreed not to Tweet or post it on Facebook.

Yan Chen has been the Finance Director of the Bar Association for four years. She is from China. She lives in Conway with her husband and sons. She enjoys running, painting, and gardening and serves as Vice President of the Arkansas Chinese American Association and committee member of Little Rock Chinese School.

Alexis Teal serves as the Association’s data integrity specialist. She oversees the association management software, data analytics, and implementation of webinar programming, and can be found behind the keyboard on the Association’s social media outlets. Above all, she loves problemsolving. She is married to her high school sweetheart, Rich, and they reside in Little Rock with their two sons, Cannon (16) and Aiden (13), three dogs, and two cats. •

Vol. 55 No. 1/Winter 2020 The Arkansas Lawyer 7