Access to Justice Month Kickoff 2022
October 27th, 6:00 to 9:00
October is Access to Justice Month in Arkansas. During October, we will be working with partner organizations to draw attention to the justice gap and ways that we can fulfill the promise of justice for all. At the Access to Justice Month Kickoff party we will be recognizing individuals and organizations who have provided outstanding levels of pro bono service.
We hope that you will join us in recognizing and celebrating the selected nominees at our annual Justice Month Kickoff party. This event will be a casual reception and will help us celebrate a month filled with opportunities for the legal profession to give back through pro bono service. The dress code for this event is business casual.
Regular tickets are $50 and law student tickets are $25. All tickets include two drink tickets and heavy hors d’oeuvres. There are also a range of sponsorships available.
Proceeds from this event will benefit the Arkansas Justice Fund, which is our endowment designated to provide perpetual support for Arkansas’s legal aid providers.
Where? Hillcrest Hall located 1501 Kavanaugh Blvd, Little Rock, AR 72205
When? October 27th from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Photos from Previous Years
2022 Honorees
Christine Dillard
Outstanding Pro Bono Service – Medium Firm
PPGMR
Christine makes pro bono work a priority and incorporates that work into her schedule, giving it the same attention and priority as other client work. Since the beginning of the pandemic, she has completed over 100 pro bono hours. She currently handles guardianship cases received from CALS, regularly answers Arkansas Free Legal Answer questions, periodically participates in pro bono clinics, and assists others within the firm on their pro bono matters. She also encourages the participation of other attorneys within her firm.
Kristen Komander
Outstanding Pro Bono Service – Small/Solo Firm
Bogart, Small, and Associates
Since arriving in Arkansas, Kristen has committed herself to providing exemplary legal services to underprivileged communities. She frequently takes on pro Bono cases and participates in legal aid clinics to provide free legal services. She has made it a point to charge reduced fees for her legal services so that families are able to afford quality legal representation. She will take on cases in rural counties that require a few hours of driving, because she knows that otherwise the client may be unable to get anyone else to represent them.
Martin Kasten
Outstanding Pro Bono Service – Large Firm
Friday, Eldredge, and Clark
Martin has been a volunteer with Legal Aid of Arkansas since 2019. During the course of the last three years, Mr. Kasten has donated a total of 75 hours of service. His substantial contribution and commitment to the delivery of pro bono legal services to low-income Arkansans has enhanced legal aid’s ability to fulfill its mission of providing equal access to justice.
Retired Judge Olly Neal
Outstanding Judicial Service
Judge Neal has had a lifelong career as a justice advocate. He has led countless efforts to successfully advocate for opportunity justice, justice in the administration of government programs, and access to elected office in areas of the state with perverse discrimination. There are numerous examples of this in his book, Outspoken. He went to law school later in life and had a career almost entirely dedicated to public service as an elected and appointed prosecutor, circuit judge, and court of appeals judge. He has mentored an untold number of young lawyers from disadvantaged backgrounds and inspired them to excel despite any challenges that have and may arise as well as instilled an obligation to improve the practice and access to the law as we know it. Judge Neal has been a force for justice long before he became a member of the bar and will continue to be until the last.
Caleb Scott
Outstanding Pro Bono Service – Law Student
Caleb has been when involved in nonprofit work since long before attending law school. As a law student, Caleb regularly volunteers at legal clinics hosted by Access to Justice and CALS. Currently, he is working towards creating a permanent partnership with the UAMS 12th Street Clinic to connect law students to more pro bono opportunities. Caleb is a student researcher and court observer for the Center for Racial Justice and Criminal Justice Reform. He is also one of only two students on the Safe Zone Committee and helps instruct Safe Zone certification for UA Little Rock. As president of Outlaw, he has been instrumental in forming a partnership with CALS, to promote volunteerism and pro bono participation within the student organization.
Goodwill Industries of Arkansas
Outstanding Pro Bono Service – Non-Profit Organization
Goodwill Industries of Arkansas has partnered with the Center for Arkansas Legal Services for years and continues to provide venues and community outreach for free legal clinics. Their partnership is crucial to the success of record-sealing clinics that offer hope to people re-entering society. These clinics directly lead to increased earnings and more stable housing for the clients served.
Thank you to our sponsors!
This section will continue to be updated as sponsors are added.
Presenting Level Sponsors
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