Kickoff 2024

Save the Date

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 cocktail or business casual.

Regular tickets are $75 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? Club 27 (Directions)

When? October 3rd, 2024 | 6PM – 9PM

Is Parking Available? Street parking is available but very limited.

We recommend parking in the parking garage located at Sherman & E 2nd.

(Directions to parking garage)

Swipe through to meet our amazing honorees!

Tap each image to learn more about their contributions and impact.

Hon. LaTonya Austin-Honorable Amie Schoeppel Wilcox Michael Kaiser Furonda Brasfield Gregg Parrish Lemine M’Bareck Sarah Davis Southern Bancorp

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Hon. LaTonya Austin-Honorable

Justice Robin Wynne Judicial Service Award

Judge LaTonya Honorable has made a significant impact as a recently elected Pulaski County Circuit Judge by championing innovative, community-focused solutions to combat disparities in the justice system. She has pioneered amnesty programs in her court for felony criminal cases, allowing individuals to voluntarily clear up active warrants without the immediate risk of incarceration. This approach helps individuals maintain their housing and employment, addressing the often overlooked consequences of traditional warrant enforcement. Her efforts mark one of the first implementations of such programs in Pulaski County.

Beyond the courtroom, Judge Honorable is a servant leader, frequently speaking at community events and volunteering her time, making her an active role model who demonstrates that justice can be accessible. Before her judgeship, she served as a helpline attorney at the Center for Arkansas Legal Services (CALS), a hearing officer for fair housing, President of the W. Harold Flowers Law Society, and a volunteer at numerous pro bono events. Judge Honorable’s devotion to justice and community service reflects her ongoing efforts to create a more fair and equitable legal system.

Amie Schoeppel Wilcox

Outstanding Pro Bono Service
Lawyer – Large Firm

Amie Wilcox, Vice Chair and founding board member of Arkansas Appleseed Legal Justice Center, has been instrumental in guiding the organization through its early stages and supporting its growth and stability. She also serves on the Board of Directors of Legal Aid of Arkansas, as well as the Arkansas Bar Editorial Advisory Board.

Wilcox’s pro bono work includes coordinating Super Saturday clinics with Southern Bancorp, managing several clinics each February, and collaborating with the University of Arkansas Law School’s Entrepreneurial Law Project to recruit pro bono attorneys. She is a dedicated advocate for due process and equal protection in parental rights cases, as highlighted in her article, “An Argument for Due Process and Equal Protection When Parental Rights Are Terminated in Private Civil Actions,” published in Arkansas Lawyer. This article highlights the inequities faced by indigent birth parents who contest private adoptions without the right to appointed counsel. Her work advocates for legal reforms to address these disparities, highlighting her passion to advance justice and protect the rights of vulnerable individuals. Wilcox’s focus on justice, leadership, and service has left a mark on the legal community in Arkansas.

Michael Kaiser

Outstanding Pro Bono Service
Lawyer – Medium Firm

Michael Kaiser is recognized as one of the leading criminal-defense attorneys in central Arkansas, known for his strong legal skills and dedication to justice. Beyond his work in the courtroom, Kaiser dedicates extensive time to pro bono cases, particularly focusing on incarcerated individuals facing post-conviction issues. He played a significant role in drafting the bill that became Act 683 of 2023 and is currently representing four incarcerated individuals seeking to have the act applied to their sentences, allowing them a chance at parole before serving their full terms. His dedication extends to filing petitions for declaratory relief and representing these cases on appeal before the Arkansas Supreme Court.

Each week, Kaiser receives letters from incarcerated individuals seeking legal guidance, and he makes it a point to respond promptly, providing advice as needed. He routinely teaches CLE classes and is deeply involved in the legal community, consistently seeking ways to support defendants and their attorneys throughout Arkansas. Known for his exceptional work ethic and genuine care for his clients, Kaiser goes above and beyond, always prioritizing people over paychecks. His passion for justice and belief in second chances are clear in every case he takes on, making him an invaluable advocate for the incarcerated population in the state.

Furonda Brasfield

Outstanding Pro Bono Service
Lawyer – Small Firm

Furonda Brasfield operates her law firm in a legal desert, offering legal representation in an area with few attorneys of color, serving a predominantly African American community. She is a national scholar and advocate on issues of death penalty equity and serves as the lead attorney for the KKAC Organization’s Heirs Property Clearinghouse. Through this role, Furonda works to ensure justice in land ownership and prevent the loss of real property among families and communities of color by offering free estate planning and litigation services.

Beyond her legal practice, Furonda is deeply committed to community engagement. She frequently hosts and participates in events such as know-your-rights sessions and other free legal initiatives. Her dedication extends to her role as a board member for DecARcerate and her active involvement in the national coalition to abolish the death penalty. Furonda’s work reflects her strong commitment to justice, equity, and serving her community.

Gregg Parrish

Outstanding Pro Bono Service
Lawyer – Gov. & Public interest

Greg Parrish is an advocate for the rights of the accused and a staunch supporter of the public defense system. He has worked tirelessly to secure additional public defenders for his agency and has been a vocal proponent of achieving salary parity for public defenders. Regularly present at the legislature, Parrish advocates for fair, compassionate, and just criminal laws, using his unique perspective as a former prosecutor to lend credibility to his arguments before committees and officials.

In the Capital Defense arena, he ensures that those facing the death penalty have access to the necessary resources, including counsel, mitigation specialists, and investigators. As a trial attorney at heart, Parrish personally appears as counsel in some death penalty cases, demonstrating his perseverance for justice. His relentless efforts and exceptional service make him a deserving honoree in the legal community’s public sector.

Lemine M’Bareck

Outstanding Pro Bono Service
Community Member

Lemine M’Bareck is an advocate for refugees and immigrants in Northwest Arkansas, offering pro bono services to help individuals achieve Legal Permanent Residency and Citizenship. With partial Department of Justice Accreditation, he utilizes his education to empower marginalized members of the community, ensuring they can fully participate in civic life. His professional development and pursuit of DOJ accreditation reflects his deep commitment to serving this population.

Fluent in English, Arabic, and French, Lemine connects with the local immigrant community on a personal level, using his language skills to offer meaningful support. He often collaborates with immigration attorneys and the USCIS to help immigrants understand and exercise their rights. Through his tireless efforts and accessible pro bono services, Lemine is a powerful advocate for justice in Arkansas and deserving of recognition for his contributions.

Sarah Davis

Outstanding Pro Bono Service
Law Student

Sarah Davis is a Bowen law student who has shown a remarkable commitment to pro bono work, completing nearly 500 hours of service this year alone. Throughout the summer, she spent over 43 hours a week volunteering her time on projects that included helping communities secure grants, improve water resources, and prevent foreclosures for small business owners. Sarah has been an active participant in Free Legal Answers Clinics and numerous other pro bono events, consistently using her skills to assist those who cannot afford legal help.

Her work ethic and dedication to advocacy speak to her passion for public service and her future career in law, where she plans to continue helping others. Sarah’s consistent and copious involvement in pro bono work demonstrates her merit for this recognition.

Southern Bancorp

Outstanding Pro Bono Service
Preferred IOLTA Bank

Southern Bancorp is a mission-driven financial institution dedicated to building wealth in underserved and underbanked communities. As a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) headquartered in Arkansas, Southern Bancorp operates 43 locations primarily in the Arkansas and Mississippi Delta regions. Founded under the vision of Governor Bill Clinton to address financial disparities in the state, Southern Bancorp continues to play a role in fostering economic growth and stability in these communities.

The organization provides financial education and access to capital, empowering small and family-owned businesses to establish and grow in areas often overlooked by traditional financial institutions. Under the leadership of CEO Darrin Williams, a career public servant and former elected official, Southern Bancorp is expanding its impact on housing, job creation, and wealth-building for historically marginalized populations.

In addition to its financial services, Southern Bancorp actively supports legal aid initiatives, particularly those related to tax law, and has been a generous sponsor of various community programs. Through these efforts, Southern Bancorp continues to make strides in promoting financial inclusion and economic justice in the communities it serves.

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Joshua Asante is a multi-disciplinary artist who explores themes of identity and possibility from an Afrofuturist perspective. His often ethereal visual work incorporates elements of photography, graphic design, painting, & sound. As a musician & composer, Asante describes his sound “astral soul”, a blend of electronic and soul music that fuses many stylistic inﬂuences.

He released two singles in 2021, a collection of eighteen ﬁeld recorded songs in 2022 called I Don’t Act Like I Used To, and released his debut full length album All The Names Of God At Once in July of 2023. Asante is currently the keyboardist for the Shreveport based band Seratones.

His photographs and designs have found homes in both private and museum collections as well arts & news outlets including The International Review Of African American Art, The Guardian, The Trace, The New York Times, NPR, ProPublica, Bloomberg, Objectiv, MSNBC, Oxford American, The Arkansas Times, and others.