The Justice Report |
Summer 2010 |
A QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER FROM THE ARKANSAS ACCESS TO JUSTICE COMMISSION |
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IN THIS ISSUE:
Welcome from the Chair
Dear Friend,
As the newly elected chair of the Arkansas Access to Justice Commission, I invite you to read about the Commission’s work in its quarterly newsletter, The Justice Report.
The Arkansas Access to Justice Commission was created in 2003 to improve access to the civil justice system for poor and near-poor individuals who cannot afford attorneys for representation in civil legal matters. These legal matters include such basic needs as protection from domestic violence, reinstatement of improperly denied public benefits, and assistance with military survivor benefits.
The Commission works hand-in-hand with the Arkansas Access to Justice Foundation, a nonprofit organization established in 2009 to raise funds to support the work of the Commission and Arkansas’s two legal aid providers, the Center for Arkansas Legal Services and Legal Aid of Arkansas.
We are fortunate to have leadership and support from both the Arkansas Supreme Court and the Arkansas Bar Association. In the coming months, the Commission and I will be reaching out to you for your leadership and support as we launch our annual fundraising and pro bono recruitment campaign. We hope you will support the work of the Commission, and we hope you are inspired by the stories of our work below.
Best Regards,
Annabelle Imber Tuck
In addition to being the newly elected chair of the Arkansas Access to Justice Commission, Annabelle Imber Tuck is a former associate justice of the Supreme Court of Arkansas; a Public Service Fellow and Jurist-in-Residence at the UALR-Bowen School of Law; and recipient of the Arkansas Bar Foundation’s “2010 Equal Justice Distinguished Service Award.”
CALS & LAA Release Joint Annual Report
The Center for Arkansas Legal Services and Legal Aid of Arkansas have released their joint annual report for 2009. The report highlights the demand for legal aid in Arkansas, lists the resources currently available to meet this demand, and recounts seven client stories from last year.
“The work of legal aid secures tangible income benefits for people who are living on the edge economically and protects their housing, health, education, and employment,” the report states. “Legal aid accomplishes this work with productive dedicated staff, the creative use of resources, and respect for the dignity of clients.”
Time for a Check-Up: Arkansas's First Medical-Legal Partnership 
Six months ago, Legal Aid of Arkansas joined with Mid-Delta Health Systems to form Arkansas’s first medical-legal partnership. Patients of the community health center in Clarendon can now speak to a free lawyer about many types of non-criminal issues.
So far, 15 patients have taken advantage of this opportunity. Cases have included wills, power of attorney, guardianships, access to public benefits, unfair debt collection practices, and family law cases with domestic violence implications.
"Sometimes the best prescription is a lawyer," said Lee Richardson, executive director of Legal Aid of Arkansas. "The medical staff looks for social detriments to health, non-biological factors that affect health and well being. By addressing these factors through the legal system, we can bring about systemic change in a patient’s health and life circumstances."
Staff from legal aid is on-site at the health center one day a week and takes referrals from the clinic at the legal aid office the rest of the week. A lawyer will be at the clinic the first Tuesday, third Tuesday, and fourth Monday of every month from 1:00 - 4:00 PM and more often as necessary. Please call the clinic at (870) 747-3381 or toll-free at (800) 244-3602 for more information.
The medical-legal partnership is funded by a $50,000 grant from the Walmart Foundation.
Chief Justice and Bar President Discuss Access to Justice
During the 2010 annual meeting of the Arkansas Bar Association, Chief Justice Jim Hannah and incoming Arkansas Bar Association President Jim Julian urged Arkansas lawyers to fulfill their obligations under Rule 6.1 of the Rules of Professional Conduct. These obligations include handling 50 hours of pro bono work each year and contributing financial support to legal aid programs in Arkansas.
"Contrary to the fear and concern expressed by a few, this work [access to justice] is not about encouraging or enabling members of the public who could otherwise secure the paid services of an attorney to represent them," said Chief Justice Hannah. "Rather it seeks to make available an array of tools and programs which better enable our citizens to access the legal advice and services they need."
Click here to watch the portions of Chief Justice Hannah's and Mr. Julian's speeches in which they discuss the status of access to justice efforts in Arkansas. The Access to Justice Commission is extremely grateful to Chief Justice Hannah and Mr. Julian for their leadership in addressing the justice gap in Arkansas.
Legal Aid of Arkansas Offers Free Legal Assistance at Jones Center in Springdale
(Clicking on the photo above will take you to the video on YouTube.)
Legal Aid of Arkansas will offer free legal services in Springdale, Ark., at the Jones Center for Families on:
Aug 11, 6-8 pm
Aug 28, 2-4 pm
For more information, contact Legal Aid of Arkansas at (479) 442-0600.
Arkansas Chief Justice Appointed to State Justice Institute
Arkansas Chief Justice Jim Hannah was recently appointed to the State Justice Institute Board of Directors. (Press release here.) SJI is the only organization with the authority to assist ALL state courts with innovations, resources, and solutions to improve access to justice and the effective, efficient administration of the courts. Before Hannah, no one from Arkansas had ever been appointed.
ALSP Launches New Website
The NEW website of the Arkansas Legal Services Partnership has officially launched!
WHAT’S NEW?
- The latest versions of fact sheets.
- Hundreds of pleadings and forms (available in members-only area).
- New automated resources (LexisNexis® HotDocs Pro™) for pro bono and legal aid attorneys: 63 automated client letters, 36 automated pleadings and 12 pro se packets.
- Visit the YouTube LegalTube™ Project for streaming videos.
National Access to Justice News |
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Questions or comments? Email us at adjohnson@arkansasjustice.org.