Access to Justice Foundation Meeting
February 3rd at Noon via Zoom
Agenda & Materials
- Welcome and Introductions – Mr. McKinney
- Edith Chavez-Program Coordinator
- Edith will be filling in for Abby while Abby is deployed.
- Edith Chavez-Program Coordinator
- Business Items
- Determination of Quorum-Mr. McKinney
- Approval of November Minutes -Mr. McKinney
- Finance Committee-Ms. Schild
- Approval of Financial Reports
- October Financial Report
- November Financial Report
- Draft December Financial Report (for information)
- Reserve Fund & Investment Portfolio Analyses
- Reserve Fund Analysis-In Compliance
- Low-Risk Portfolio-In Compliance
- Moderate-Risk Portfolio-Out of Compliance
- The Finance Committee recommends converting 10% of equity holdings at Stephens to a CD to move into compliance with our financial policies.
- Discussions are ongoing regarding the placement of our endowment funds.
- The Finance Committee will be reviewing comments from banks on a proposed increase to the Preferred IOLTA Bank rate.
- The proposed rate is 1%.
- The current rate is 0.50%.
- Investment/Endowment Statements (for information)
- Approval of Financial Reports
- Grants Committee-Ms. Rucker
- Proposed Updated Grants Policy (for approval)
- Recommended General Support Grants (for approval)
- $100,000 Each to Center for Arkansas Legal Services and Legal Aid of Arkansas
- $50,000 remainder open for grant applications
- Grant Application to Open on March 1st
- Grants Application to Close May 1st
- Grant Awards Announced May 19th
- Scholarship Committee Report-Ms. Lee (for information)
- Now Accepting Submissions
- Justice Wynne to Announce Winners May 1st
- Executive Director’s Report–Mr. Bates-Rogers (for information)
- Pro Bono Portal Updates
- The portal is live now!
- Check out the current listings.
- Courthouse Kiosk Grant
- The Administrative Office of the Courts assisted in getting a $252,660.10 grant to place public access kiosks in courthouses across the state.
- We have taken delivery of all of the kiosks and some of the printers.
- We’re now working on building the kiosk homepage. Check out the beta here and send us your feedback. (Note:While in beta, some features may not work or may change.)
- We’ll then move into a pilot phase. Sherwood District Court and the Pulaski County Circuit Court have agreed to be our pilot sites.
- After the pilot, we’ll coordinate with the Circuit Clerks’ Association and the District Court Clerks to install the remaining kiosks over the next year.
- Bank Fee Rule Change
- Pro Bono Portal Updates
- IOLTA Report-Ms. Parker (for information)
- IOLTA Trends
- Preferred IOLTA Banks
- Total of 32 out of 87 banks are now Preferred IOLTA Banks
- Project Reports–Ms. Chavez (for information)
- January CLE Report
- Record Sealing CLE, 252 attendees
- Estate Planning CLE, 266 attendees
- Language Access Survey
- Feedback received from the AOC’s Office of Court Interpreter Services
- Feedback received from panel of 3 law students from both law schools.
- The survey will go live in the next few days.
- Unlawful Detainer Forms
- 8 Judges have agreed to provide feedback.
- We’re also coordinating to get the forms presented to Judicial Council for approval.
- Upcoming CLEs
- March 17 CLE -Evictions- presented by Kendall Lewellen, Center for Arkansas Legal Services
- Free Legal Answers
- Free Legal Answers 2022 by the Numbers
- 688 clients helped
- 34 new volunteer attorneys
- 21 FLA virtual clinics
- 84% of users were matched with an attorney.
- Latest FLA clinic volunteers: 10 law students and 4 attorneys
- To date, there are 59 unanswered questions. In the top categories we have 25 questions on family law, 18 on other, 5 on constitutional law or civil litigation, 4 on housing, and 2 on work or unemployment.
- Free Legal Answers 2022 by the Numbers
- January CLE Report
- Partner Organization Updates (for information)
- Legal Aid Program Updates
- Center for Arkansas Legal Services–Mr. Mumgaard
- Legal Aid of Arkansas–Mr. Richardson
- Legal Aid Program Updates
- Next Meeting Date: Please respond to Zoom poll.
- Meeting Adjourned