Recap and More to Come

As we approach the end of the Bar year and my reign as the Chair of the Young Lawyers Section comes to a close, I wanted to reflect on some of the accomplishments that YLS achieved this year.

The Bar year started some 650 miles Northeast of the Arkansas Bar Center, in Chicago, Illinois, at the American Bar Association Annual Meeting. There, the Arkansas delegation learned from other association’s good ideas, and this helped our Section to formulate a strategic plan for the year.

In the fall, YLS hosted a free legal answers clinic with the help of Arkansas Access to Justice, impacting indigent Arkansans. This event was so successful that we are currently scheduling two more next year.

18 & Life to Go

I am especially thankful to each of the YLS executive committee members, who worked tirelessly to update and complete the “18 & Life to Go: A Legal Handbook for Young Arkansans.” This guidebook will be printed this summer and ready for distribution to area high schools in the fall.

Wills for Heroes

Probably in what has become our signature spring event, Wills for Heroes, was extra special this year. It was scheduled to take place on April 1, 2023, just one day after parts of our state were decimated by an EF-3 tornado. This event went forward with the dedication and resolve of our volunteer attorneys and we provided estate planning documents for over 70 first responders and their families. After quick deliberation we decided to extend this event for those first responders who were unable to attend due to the historic damage suffered from the tornadoes. This event would not have been as successful without our Bar partners, SimpleWill.

William J. Ogles is the Chair of the Young Lawyers Section. He is an attorney at Wright, Lindsey & Jennings LLP

Volunteers Needed to Provide Free Disaster Legal Assistance for Those Impacted by the March 31st Storms and Tornadoes

We are in need volunteers to assist in free disaster legal assistance for those impacted by the aforementioned tornadoes. In partnership with the Arkansas Bar Association, Center for Arkansas Legal Services, and Legal Aid of Arkansas, we are calling on all YLS members to provide free disaster legal assistance to individuals who were affected by the recent storms in the counties of Cross, Lonoke, and Pulaski. The Federal Emergency Management Agency announced that federal disaster assistance has been made available to the state of Arkansas. For those willing to provide free disaster legal assistance please visit https://fs2.formsite.com/ arkbar/2023DisasterAsstance/index and fill out the form.

125th Annual Meeting

The Arkansas Bar Association’s 125th annual meeting will be held in Hot Springs from June 14-16. The YLS Section meeting and election of officers will be held at 10:30 AM on Thursday, June 15. If you are interested in running for a position, please reach out to me for more information.

The YLS Social event, sponsored in part by Wright Lindsey & Jennings, will be held at Pop’s Lounge in the Oaklawn Casino. Come see us from 8:00 pm- TBD, on Thursday.

YLS is sponsoring a blood drive with the Arkansas Blood Institute on Thursday, June 16 from 9:00 am - 2:00 pm in Rooms 203-204 of the Hot Springs Convention Center. The online booking link will be available soon at https://www.arkbar.com/ annualmeeting/schedule/yls-blood-drive.

At the awards luncheon on Friday, June 16, YLS will be presenting awards to three very deserving individuals for their contributions to our section and the Association:

•Ledly Jennings, District Representative, will receive a YLS Award of Excellence for his contributions to 18 & Life to Go, and for his work at the YLS social event in District C.

•Frank Jenner, Treasurer, will receive a YLS Award of Excellence for his contributions to the YLS Mid-Year event in Little Rock.

•Caroline Kelley, Chair Elect, will receive the Judith Ryan Gray Outstanding Young lawyer award for her support and contributions throughout the entire year. Caroline was instrumental in making sure every event YLS put its name on ran flawlessly. Caroline will also receive a YLS Award of Excellence for her work preparing for, and adapting under pressure at, the Wills for Heroes event.

It has been an absolute privilege to serve as your YLS chair, which afforded me opportunities to travel around our state and meet so many individuals who care deeply about our organization. I am proud of what we accomplished and I know that this organization is going to continue to succeed under the new chair elect, Caroline Kelley.

You can reach Will Ogles at Wogles@wlj. com and 501-371-0808. ■

Benefactors

2022-2023

John D. Alford

Mark H. Allison

Thomas M. Carpenter

Joshua T. Carson

Judge Susan Webber Wright

Carter

Earl Buddy Chadick

Suzanne G. Clark

Randy Coleman

Bryce Cook

Steven A. Cosse

Tim J. Cullen

Steven B. Davis

Sherry D. DeJanes

Jack W. Dickerson

Bob Edwards

Bob Estes

Brent J. Eubanks

Buck C. Gibson

Patrons

2022-2023

Elizabeth Ann Andreoli

Ben F. Arnold

Kenneth B. Baim

Barry D. Barber

Melody Peacock Barnett

David L. Beatty

Paul B. Benham, III

Stephen Bennett

Michael Stephen Bingham

Judge Samuel N. Bird

Daniel C. Blaney

Will Bond

Robert Bruce Branch, Sr.

Judge Laurie Bridewell

Fred E. Briner

Bill W. Bristow