YOUNG LAWYERS SECTION REPORT
Handbooks, Clinics and More
YLS is gearing up for a busy Spring. YLS is leading the effort in updating the Statute of Limitations Handbook since its last update in 2017. The Statute of Limitations Handbook is a great benefit to our members. It contains 14 chapters covering all subject areas and miscellaneous issues. This handbook is a valuable tool for any practitioner, and is available to you free as part of your Fastcase legal research member benefit. We need a few more volunteers for this project; please consider volunteering for a chapter. The Statute of Limitations Handbook can also be found on the Association’s website at www.arkbar.com in the Publications section, which can be accessed by going to the Attorneys drop-down tab and clicking on Publications under the Resources subheading. You will find many other member benefits in the Publications section, including ArkBar Docs, the Domestic Violence Practical Guide, e-Bulletins, Law Reviews, Law Student Spotlight, Member Newsletter, Practice Handbooks, Social Media Guidebook, and The Arkansas Lawyer magazine. Make sure to check these out to get the most of your membership! YLS is preparing for our Annual Wills for Heroes Clinic for late March or the beginning of April that provides Arkansas First Responders free simple wills, powers of attorneys, and living wills. Given the success of last year’s statewide virtual clinic and the current state of COVID-19, this year’s clinic will be virtual. This will enable YLS
Payton C. Bentley is the Chair of the Young Lawyers Section. He is an attorney at the Clark Law Firm, PLLC.
to recruit more volunteer attorneys and to help Arkansans across the state. Please consider volunteering for this incredible clinic. Any lawyer from any practice area even with no prior experience can volunteer. Volunteers will use a completed questionnaire to fill in the blanks on the provided forms before the clinic and then go over the documents with the First Responders in 30-minute appointments via Zoom on the day of the clinic. Make sure to keep an eye on the YLS Facebook page and the YLS page on ACE for future updates! YLS is helping in the effort, along with the Arkansas Bar Association, Center for Arkansas Legal Services, and Legal Aid of Arkansas, to recruit volunteers to provide pro bono legal assistance to the victims of the recent storms in the counties of Craighead, Jackson, Mississippi, Poinsett, and Woodruff in Northeast Arkansas. YLS coordinates disaster legal assistance through the Disaster Legal Assistance program, and in conjunction with Legal Aid of Arkansas YLS created the Arkansas Disaster Assistance Manual that can be found in the Publications section referenced above. Those hit by the severe storms and tornadoes will call a toll-free number, 1-800-952-9243, and a volunteer attorney will gather and divide requests between those willing to respond by telephone to answer legal questions. The goal is to assist as many individuals affected by these storms as possible. The volunteer attorneys will be asked to help with the following areas:
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Assistance securing FEMA and other government benefits available to disaster victims; Assistance with life, medical, and property insurance claims; Help with home repair contracts and contractors; Replacement of wills and other important legal documents lost or destroyed in the disaster; Consumer protection to guard against price-gouging and avoiding contractor scams in the rebuilding process; Counseling on mortgage-foreclosure problems; and Counseling on landlord-tenant problems.
Please consider volunteering. Our fellow Arkansans need our help in picking up the pieces and dealing with the aftermath of this disaster. Our first responders need help and our membership in general will greatly benefit from an updated Statute of Limitations handbook. If you would like to volunteer for the disaster relief, please contact Jay Robbins at jrobbins@arkbar. com. If you would like to volunteer for the other projects please contact me at pbentley@clark-firm.com. ■
Vol. 57 No. 1/Winter 2022 The Arkansas Lawyer
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