Speaker Bios - Family Law and Low-Income Arkansans

The Promise of Justice Conference
November 13, 2009
Little Rock, AR

Family Law and Low-Income Arkansans
Speaker Bios

Brian Miles
B.S. Psychology, Arkansas State University, 1998
J.D., UALR-Bowen School of Law, 2001

Brian Miles is the Deputy Director for Legal Aid of Arkansas (LAA). He began working in legal aid before the statewide merger of legal aid organizations in 2001. After three years with LAA, he left to serve one year as a public defender and one year as a deputy prosecuting attorney with the Second Judicial District Drug Task Force. He returned to LAA in August of 2007. He has a total of five and half years with legal aid.
Mr. Miles is a member of the Greene County Bar Association and the Arkansas Bar Association. He won the Volunteer of the Year Award for Greene County in 2005.

Prof. Kelly Olson
B.A., 1989, Marquette University
J.D., 1992, University of Michigan
LL.M., 1997, Loyola University Chicago

Prof. Olson joined the law school faculty at UALR-Bowen School of Law in 2001. She was the Mediation Clinic Director 2001–2003, and she currently directs the clinical programs. She mediates and supervises abuse, neglect, delinquency, special education, custody and visitation, and small claims mediations. She also teaches Alternative Dispute Resolution, Domestic Violence and Family Law courses. She helped create the UALR Graduate Certificate Program in Conflict Mediation.

Before coming to Arkansas, Prof. Olson taught mediation and ADR and lectured in juvenile law, elder law and domestic violence courses at the Loyola University Chicago School of Law. Before seeking her LL.M. in Child Law at Loyola, she worked as General Counsel at a small telecommunications company. She is a frequent speaker and trainer on mediation and children's legal issues.

Susie Pointer
B.A., Lindenwood College for Women
J.D., UALR School of Law

Susie Pointer currently serves as Executive Director of the Arkansas IOLTA Foundation, Inc. The Foundation, established pursuant to a per curiam order of the Arkansas Supreme Court, certifies that lawyers are in compliance with Rule 1.15 and administers the interest from certain types of trust accounts maintained by lawyers.

She previously worked as legal counsel and assistant director for policy and programs at the Arkansas Department of Higher Education, as Assistant Dean of the Law School at UALR, and as an attorney in private practice for eight years in Little Rock.

She is a member of the Arkansas Bar Association, past president of the Arkansas Association of Women Lawyers, and a past president of Network for Executive Women.

Margaret Reger
B.A. Political Science, Drury University, Springfield, Mo.
B.S. Ed., University of Tulsa
J.D., University of Tulsa, 1968

Ms. Reger is a senior staff attorney in the Harrison office of Legal Aid of Arkansas (LAA). She has worked with LAA for 32 years. Before coming to Arkansas, she spent three years with Legal Services of Tulsa.

Ms. Reger understands the root causes of poverty and the role of law in addressing these issues. With over four decades of personal experience, she has seen what works and what does not work to address poverty. She has seen trends come and go, especially in the areas of Welfare and Juvenile/Family law, including the negative unintended consequences of some well-intentioned reforms. 

Ms. Reger is a member of the Arkansas Bar Association; Civil Air Patrol; Assemblies of God Church; Ozark Humane Society; Ozark Arts Council; Friends of the Library, Harrison; and Boone County Pilots Association.

Jennifer T. Stone
B.S. Political Science, University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, 1991
J.D., UALR-Bowen School of Law, 1994

Jennifer Stone is managing attorney in the El Dorado office of the Center for Arkansas Legal Services (CALS). She has worked at CALS for 13 years. Before coming to CALS, Ms. Stone worked in the Union County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office as Deputy Prosecutor. She also worked for the Thornton Law Firm.

Ms. Stone is active in her church, teaching children and serving on several boards and committees. She is also a member of the Union County Democratic Central Committee.