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The Justice Report |
Winter 2009 |
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A QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER FROM THE ARKANSAS ACCESS TO JUSTICE COMMISSION
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We've had a busy few months here at the Access to Justice Commission. We've been keeping all eyes on the Arkansas 87th General Assembly. In particular, we're watching for legislation that may help Arkansas' low-income citizens. To keep up with the 2009 legislative session, the Commission has created a new website -- Arkansas Equal Justice Watch. This website is meant to help lawmakers and their constituents see how poverty affects justice in each county in Arkansas. For more information, and to see what else we've been up to, check out the stories below. Thanks for reading, and we hope you continue to enjoy The Justice Report! |
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Sen. Robert Thompson and Rep. Steve Harrelson File SB 348
"I believe it’s important to help those less fortunate gain access to the justice system, and in order to keep up with our neighboring states, we must fund the Access to Justice Commission at an
appropriate level to maintain fairness. I believe that SB348
will open the courthouse doors for an entirely new sector
of Arkansans seeking redress and justice." |
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Poverty exists in every county in Arkansas. For instance, 63,337 residents of Pulaski County live in poverty, and 1 in 3 residents of Crittenden County qualify for free civil legal aid. The Arkansas Access to Justice Commission believes that something needs to be done to help these low-income Arkansans. So the Commission created Arkansas Equal Justice Watch, a free new website devoted to showing voters and legislators how poverty affects justice in their counties.... |
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A New Way to Help – www.ArkansasLegalServices.org
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The Arkansas Pro Bono Partnership recently published its annual report in the Winter 2009 edition of The Arkansas Lawyer, a publication of the Arkansas Bar Association. Each year the report contains a list of award recipients, names of pro bono attorneys and client stories. This year, however, the report also contains a letter from the Access to Justice Commission. The letter reflects on the decline in revenue for legal aid from IOLTA, grants, contracts and private sources. It asks each member of the Arkansas Bar to volunteer for 2–3 cases annually and to donate $400.
To view the Partnership’s annual report and the Commission’s letter (p. 25), please click here. |
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Two counties in northwest Arkansas were hit hard with foreclosures during 2008. Last year, Benton County had 240% more foreclosures than it did in 2007, while Washington County experienced a 214% increase. To see how other counties in Arkansas fared, please click here. |
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The Arkansas Access to Justice Commission welcomes its newest member, Mr. Bill Waddell. Mr. Waddell was appointed to the Commission in November by the President of the Arkansas Bar Association, Ms. Rosalind Mouser. “Bill shares my basic thoughts that, at the least, ‘Justice for all’—as our Pledge of Allegiance ends—includes the protection of the rule of law, no one citizen experiencing less justice than another, and the support of an independent judiciary,” Ms. Mouser said. “He truly understands that ‘Justice for all’ means some of us have to step up and not only speak justice but do justice. Bill will be a great asset to the Commission, and I am grateful for his service.... |
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"I have been on Legal Aid of Arkansas' pro bono panel for the past few years, and I know the 
importance of legal services to those who cannot afford it. Given the funding cuts for legal services at the federal level, I hope the state of Arkansas will be able to assist through an increase in Circuit Court filing fees."
Meet Commissioner Bill Waddell