Access to Justice Month Kickoff 2021
October is Access to Justice Month in Arkansas and we can’t wait to celebrate with you!
With your support, we will draw attention to the justice gap in Arkansas and fulfill the promise of justice for all. With the effects of the pandemic continuing, we know that thousands of Arkansans need help applying for rental assistance, escaping an abuser, or sealing an old record to make it easier to find work. The good news is that Arkansas attorneys have stepped up time and again to help those in need. That includes this year’s honorees who have worked to ensure that all Arkansans have access to justice. Check out their profiles below!
Be sure to stick around after the awards ceremony for music by Stephanie Smittle!
This year’s virtual event is free to attend, but your generous sponsorship will support legal aid and pro bono programs in Arkansas.
Where? We’ll stream the event on this page, Facebook, and YouTube.
When? October 7th at 6 pm.
Messages for Award Winners
2021 Honorees
J. Carter Dooley
Ford, Dooley, & Griffin
Outstanding Pro Bono Service
Small Firm
Carter has been volunteering with Legal Aid of Arkansas since 2003. In that period, he has donated over 180 hours of his time to low-income clients experiencing a civil-legal crisis. He has assisted people with problems in the areas of social security disability, estate planning, and family law. In one of his cases, his client’s life was threatened by an abusive husband. Carter fought to get her a divorce and awards of the marital home and alimony, providing safety and stability for a survivor of domestic violence.
Robert Riley
WPM Attorneys at Law
Outstanding Pro Bono Service
Medium Firm
Through Legal Aid of Arkansas’s Equal Access to Justice Panel, Robert goes above and beyond to provide outstanding service to low-income clients. Although Robert has only been licensed since 2020, he has already dedicated over 62 hours to pro bono service. His volunteer hours include assisting victims of domestic violence with divorces and helping clients obtain minor guardianships over relatives. He also assisted the Center for Arkansas Legal Services with an expungement matter.
Meredith Moore
Rainwater Holt & Sexton
Outstanding Pro Bono Service
Large Firm
Meredith Moore partnered with Lauren Manatt to take on sex trafficking, working with charitable organizations that interface with abused women and with law enforcement agencies to reach trafficked girls and women with the message that the civil justice system offers a remedy against any entity that facilitates sex trafficking. Meredith and Lauren have taken their mission to the lawyers of Arkansas, offering to help any and all lawyers join in this fight to help sex trafficking victims.
Lauren Manatt
Rainwater Holt & Sexton
Outstanding Pro Bono Service
Large Firm
Lauren Manatt partnered with Meredith Moore to take on sex trafficking, working with charitable organizations that interface with abused women and with law enforcement agencies to reach trafficked girls and women with the message that the civil justice system offers a remedy against any entity that facilitates sex trafficking. Meredith and Lauren have taken their mission to the lawyers of Arkansas, offering to help any and all lawyers join in this fight to help sex trafficking victims.
Kandice Bell
Office of Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson
Outstanding Pro Bono Service–Public Service
In the wake of George Floyd, Kandice decided that she wanted to help address systems of oppression in historically marginalized communities. Recognizing that the membership of the Arkansas Bar has a broad footprint in both the legislative and judicial branches of government, Kandice wants to help close the disparity gaps in marginalized communities. Her work includes increasing minority law school admissions, educating the legal profession, and reviewing legislation and other governing structures through a lens of equity. Reappointed chair of the Arkansas Bar Commission on Diversity and Inclusion, Kandice is continuing a 20-year career dedicated to diversity, equity, inclusion, and the rule of law.
Hon. Raymond Abramson
Arkansas Court of Appeals
Judicial Leadership
Judge Abramson practiced law in the Clarendon area for 36 years, while also participating widely in his community and in statewide volunteer endeavors. In the last few years, Judge Abramson has devoted himself to creating and ensuring the progress of the Monroe County Children In Trust Project (MCCIT), a collaborative program designed to lift local children out of multi-generational poverty. Judge Abramson serves as the MCCIT Chair, bringing together the existing legal, faith, medical, and educational communities to help those children most at-risk.
Arkansas Immigrant Defense
Nonprofit Partner
As the State’s only unrestricted nonprofit law firm, Arkansas Immigrant Defense prepares T-Visas for immigrant and refugee children survivors of violence who qualify for immigration relief by virtue of having supported law enforcement investigations of human trafficking. These services enable children to qualify for federally funded ARKids First, ensuring hundreds of thousands of dollars are reimbursed to Arkansas Children’s Hospital. Arkansas Immigrant Defense serves the entire state through partnerships with various organizations such as Children’s Advocacy Centers and Arkansas Children’s Hospital.
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