The Second Annual 2019 Justice Donald L. Corbin Appellate Symposium will be held at the University of Arkansas School of Law in Fayetteville on Thursday, March 28th through Friday, March 29th, 2019.
Speakers this year include a number of federal and state court judges from courts across the country. The speakers for the event are as follows:
Mr. Howard Bashman, Offices of Howard J. Bashman
Mr. Kannon Shanmugam, Williams & Connolly
Judge Ralph R. Erickson, Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals
Chief Judge Lavenski Smith, Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals
Judge Duane Benton, Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals
Judge Jane Stranch, Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals
Mr. A. Clifford Edwards, Edwards, Frickle & Culver
Judge James Graves, Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals
Judge Michael Brown, Arizona Court of Appeals
Judge Lucinda Jesson, Minnesota Court of Appeals
Judge Robert Gladwin, Arkansas Court of Appeals
Judge Mary Briscoe, Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals
Joe Regalia, King & Spalding
Lee Rudofsky, Wal Mart
Tasha Taylor, Taylor & Taylor Law Firm
Abigail Perdue, Wake Forest University School of Law
The updated 2019 Timeline of an Arkansas Civil Appeal has just been released by Taylor & Taylor Law Firm, P.A. We have edited the timeline to include rule changes that have occurred since the last release.
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The Pulaski County Bar Foundation is presenting the first annual Justice Donald L. Corbin Appellate Symposium at the UA Little Rock Bowen School of Law on Thursday, March 29, 2018 and Friday, March 30, 2018. The complete brochure and online registration form can be found here.
The planning committee–consisting of Dorcy Kyle Corbin, Jennifer Corbin, and Judge Herbert T. Wright, Jr.–has put together an outstanding program, which includes an impressive list of speakers, as shown in the lineup below:
The 2016 nonpartisan judicial elections held in Arkansas on March 1st have resulted in two new Arkansas Supreme Court Justices, one new Judge on the Arkansas Court of Appeals, and one runoff election for a seat on the Arkansas Court of Appeals. The following are results with nearly all precincts reporting:
The runoff election between James McMenis and Mark Klappenbach for the Associate Judge District 5 position on the Arkansas Court of Appeals will take place during the general election on November 8, 2016.
There were also two uncontested races in the Arkansas Court of Appeals: Judge Rita W. Gruber will remain the Associate Justice for District 6, Position 1; and Judge Waymond Brown will keep his seat as District 7 Associate Judge.
Introducing the new Timeline of an Arkansas Civil Appeal infographic, brought to you by Taylor & Taylor Law Firm, P.A. If you would like to receive a copy of our custom timeline card for your office, just send us an email with your address and request and we’ll mail one out to you for free! You can email us at Attorney@TaylorLawFirm.com.
The Arkansas Supreme Court issued a per curiam last week entitled In Memory of Chief Justice James R. Hannah, in which the Court recognized Justice Hannah’s 37 years of service to the Arkansas Judiciary.
I had the privilege and honor of starting my legal career at the Arkansas Supreme Court during the time when Chief Justice Hannah led the Court. Much has been written about how he was an accomplished jurist, and rightfully so. But, I was always most impressed by his gentle smile and soft voice with which he seemed to greet everyone he met. It’s no wonder he was such a remarkable leader who aspired for a system of justice where all people would receive the same level of treatment.
“We have the best judicial system in the world. But if a person cannot walk through those courtroom doors because of their economic status or race, then having the best judicial system means absolutely nothing.” – Chief Justice Jim Hannah, June 2010.
* Hat tip to Amy Dunn Johnson for sharing the above quote and link to the following video where Justice Hannah speaks about access to justice during his first “State of the Judiciary Address” at the 2010 annual meeting of the Arkansas Bar Association.
The party primary and judicial general election will be held in Arkansas this year on March 1, 2016. The judicial general election includes four contested races for seats on Arkansas’s appellate courts (two in each court). The races for the open seats on the Arkansas Supreme Court will be elected in a statewide election. The seats open on the Arkansas Court of Appeals will be elected only by voters in each seat’s district.
In the Court of Appeals, there are two races that are uncontested: Judge Rita W. Gruber will remain the Associate Justice for District 6, Position 1; and Judge Waymond Brown will keep his seat as District 7 Associate Judge.
The two contested races in the Court of Appeals are for District 2, Position 2 (currently occupied by Judge Cliff Hoofman, who was appointed to replace Justice Rhonda Wood when she was elected to the Arkansas Supreme Court) and District 5 (currently occupied by Mike Kinard, who was appointed to replace Justice Robin Wynne after Wynne was elected to the Arkansas Supreme Court).
The candidates for the two contested positions on the Arkansas Court of Appeals are listed below each position in the list that follows (along with a link to each candidate’s campaign site).
Faulkner County Circuit Court Judge Mike Murphy announced this morning his plan to run for District 2, Position 2 of the Arkansas Court of Appeals on the March 1, 2016 election. Judge Murphy was elected to serve as the 1st Division of the Faulkner County Circuit Court in May of 2014. Prior to taking office for his elected position in January of 2015, Judge Murphy was appointed by Governor Mike Beebe to fill the vacancy left in the 2nd Division of the Faulkner County Circuit Court when the Arkansas Supreme Court removed Judge Mike Maggio from the bench last year. After completing Maggio’s term through December 31, 2014, Judge Murphy took office in his elected (and current) position as 1st Division Circuit Court Judge in Faulkner County. His term in that position expires on December 31, 2020.
The Court of Appeals position that Judge Murphy is seeking is currently occupied by Governor Beebe appointee Cliff Hoofman. Judge Hoofman was appointed to that seat when Rhonda Wood was elected to the Arkansas Supreme Court and may not seek re-election to that position.
The press release issued this morning by Judge Mike Murphy follows:
(Conway, Arkansas) — Circuit Judge Mike Murphy of Conway has announced his candidacy for the Arkansas Court of Appeals, District 2, Position 2 in the March 1, 2016 nonpartisan judicial elections.
Murphy currently serves as the 1st Division circuit judge for the 20th Judicial District (Faulkner, Searcy and Van Buren counties).
“I’m grateful for the opportunity to serve our citizens as one of their trial judges. It is an honor to seek this position on the appellate court bench. If elected, I pledge to work hard and uphold our laws with fairness, honesty and integrity.”
A Faulkner County native, Murphy opened a private law practice in 1988 and worked as a deputy prosecutor. Elected as Conway’s city attorney in 1990, he served for over 22 years before being elected circuit judge. Murphy attended UCA and the University of Arkansas, receiving his law degree from the School of Law in Fayetteville in 1986. He also served as law clerk for the United States Magistrate Judge in Springfield, Missouri.
Murphy was an adjunct instructor at UCA; member of the Arkansas Bar Association House of Delegates; a past-president of the Arkansas City Attorneys Association and former member of the Little Rock Air Force Base Community Council. He is a member of the Arkansas Judicial Council, the Arkansas and Faulkner County Bar Associations and serves on the boards of the Conway Public Schools Foundation and the Faulkner County Museum Commission.
Murphy is the father of three teenagers and member of Conway’s First United Methodist Church.
District 2 of the Court of Appeals is comprised of 18 counties, including Baxter, Boone, Cleburne, Conway, Faulkner, Fulton, Independence, Izard, Jackson, Lawrence, Marion, Newton, Pope, Randolph, Searcy, Sharp, Stone, and Van Buren.
Earlier this month, Chief Justice Jim Hannah announced his plans to retire early from his position on the Arkansas Supreme Court due to health issues. Justice Hannah was first elected as an Associate Justice on the Arkansas Supreme Court in 2000 and later was elected to the Chief Justice position in 2004.
The following is Chief Justice Hannah’s Resignation Statement:
The people of Arkansas elected me to our state’s highest court in year 2000. I will be forever grateful. It is with great pride and pleasure that I have served on the Arkansas Supreme Court for over fourteen years, the last ten in the role of Chief Justice. In recent weeks I have been challenged by a significant health issue. Having the utmost respect for my job as Chief Justice and the business of the court, I have made a decision to tender my resignation effective at the end of August 31, 2015 to focus full-time on addressing my immediate health condition. There is no greater honor that a person can receive than to have another person place his or her trust and confidence in you. I want to thank the people of Arkansas who placed their trust and confidence in me and allowed me to serve them on their Arkansas Supreme Court. I sincerely appreciate the excellent staff that has worked with me. I have been privileged to work with some of the best district court judges, circuit court judges, appellate court judges, and justices in the country. I have also been privileged to work with our excellent Administrative Office of the Courts, its leadership and dedicated employees. Lastly, thank you to my wife Pat for her sacrifice and support.
Prior to his retirement, Justice Hannah was the longest-serving member of the Arkansas judiciary, having served as a judge for more than thirty-seven years.
Professor Howard Brill
On Thursday of this week, Governor Asa Hutchinson appointed Professor Howard Brill to complete Chief Justice Hannah’s term on the Arkansas Supreme Court, which ends in 2016. Professor Brill is the Vincent Foster University Professor of Legal Ethics and Professional Responsibility at the University of Arkansas School of Law. He joined the law school in 1975. Among his many achievements, Professor Brill is widely known in Arkansas as the author of Arkansas Law of Damages, which is routinely cited by Arkansas state and federal courts. He has also authored Arkansas Professional and Judicial Ethics. Professor Brill has previously served as a Special Justice on the Arkansas Supreme Court on several occasions.
Justice Paul Danielson announced last week that he does not plan to seek re-election as an Associate Justice of the Arkansas Supreme Court at the end of 2016. Justice Danielson said that he was grateful for the opportunity to serve and commented that he would seek re-election were it not for an Arkansas law requiring judges to retire by age 70 so as not to lose their retirement benefits.
“I am eternally grateful to the people of Arkansas for allowing me the privilege of serving on this court for what will be ten years, after having served twelve years as a circuit judge,” Danielson said. “And it has been my honor and pleasure to work among such esteemed colleagues over the years. Were it not for the state law prohibiting me from seeking re-election without forfeiting my retirement benefits, I would continue to seek re-election as long as the good people of this State would have me.”
Within a few hours of Justice Danielson’s announcement, Circuit Court Judge Shawn Womack announced that he’ll run for Justice Danielson’s seat on the Arkansas Supreme Court in 2016. Judge Womack, a former Arkansas lawmaker, is currently a circuit court judge in Mountain Home.
ArkansasAppeals.com 