Court Administration

The administration of the Arkansas court system is accomplished by a combination of state, county and local officials, lay and professional committees, and judicial and court employee associations. A partial unification of the administration of the court system occurred in 1965 when the General Assembly adopted legislation providing that "The Arkansas Supreme Court shall have general superintending control over the administration of justice in all courts in the State of Arkansas. The Chief Justice shall be directly responsible for the efficient operation of the judicial branch and of its constituent courts and for the expeditious dispatch of litigation therein and the proper conduct of the business of the courts. In aid of this responsibility, the Chief Justice may appoint a Director of the Administrative Office of the Courts, such appointment to be approved by the Arkansas Judicial Council and the remaining members of the Supreme Court."

Arkansas Judicial Council, Inc.

The Arkansas Judicial Council consists of all judges of the circuit and chancery courts, Court of Appeals, Justices of the Supreme Court, retired justices and judges, and the Director of the Administrative Office of the Courts. The Council acts as the official body representing the state's judiciary. It was organized "to foster and preserve the integrity, dignity, and independence of the judiciary; to promote uniformity and dispatch in judicial administration; to develop, implement and maintain a program of judicial education pre-assisting members newly elected or appointed to the bench; to provide continuing judicial education for members accommodating the diverse needs of chancellors, circuit judges and appellate justices; and to select members to the Judicial Retirement Board." The Council has the specific statutory responsibility of making recommendations to the General Assembly on judicial redistricting and the addition of new judgeships in the state. Formal business of the Council is conducted in spring and fall meetings each year.

Administrative Office of the Courts

The Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) is the administrative office for the non-judicial business of the state courts. The office provides services to the court system, state and local government, and the public.

The AOC provides educational opportunities for trial and appellate court judges, municipal judges, court clerks, court reporters, case coordinators, and law clerks. Orientation programs for new judges is also a part of the ongoing education program and the division oversees the budget for all out-of-state educational programs. The division includes a public education component to help educate students and private citizens about the court system. The director of publications also works within the division. The office routinely publishes educational pamphlets, statistical reports, special research reports, and a bi-monthly newsletter. The division includes the state's court interpreter/translator who is responsible for foreign language interpretation and services to the hearing and sight impaired for all courts in the state.

Several attorneys provide ongoing legal assistance to all judges and local officials. Specific legal research requests are accepted and major policy proposals and research are completed on behalf of the Judicial Council, the Supreme Court, the Governor's Office, and the General Assembly.

A staff of automation and records specialists is responsible for the collection and dissemination of court data from all courts in the state. Data auditors regularly travel to all courthouses in the state in order to collect and confirm the reliability of data. The division is also responsible for the implementation of all court automation projects within the state.

The AOC also houses and staffs the Arkansas Alternative Dispute Resolution Commission, which is responsible for the implementation of ADR programs, education, and the certification of ADR professionals, and the state's Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) program.

Supreme Court Committees

The Arkansas Supreme Court carries out many of its administrative responsibilities through the work of several committees. Each committee is made up of judges, attorneys, and lay persons and one liaison justice of the Supreme Court. Staffing for the committees is provided by the Office of Professional Programs, the Office of Professional Conduct, and the Administrative Office of the Courts. The 1996-97 committees and their chairpersons included the following:

• Committee on Criminal Practice: Judge Robert Edwards
• Committee on Civil Practice: Judge John Ward
• Criminal Jury Instruction: Hon. Jackson Jones
• Civil Jury Instruction: Hon. David Blair
• Board of Certified Court Reporter Examiners: Judge Tom Smitherman
• Unauthorized Practice of Law: Mr. Ernest B. Matkin
• Board of Law Examiners: Hon. Jim Ross
• Committee on Professional Conduct: Hon. Bart Virden
• Alternate Committee on Professional Conduct: Hon. David Solomon
• Continuing Legal Education Board: Ms. Margaret Woolfolk
• Client Security Fund: Hon. Judith DeSimone
• Board of Legal Specialization: Hon. Wyckliff Nisbet
• Committee on Automation: Judge David Bogard
• Committee on Child Support: Judge Warren Kimbrough
• Foster Care and Adoption Assessment: Justice Annabelle Imber

Arkansas Judicial Council Board of Directors and Officers

Front row (left to right):  Judge Rita Gruber, Judge John Cole, Judge Graham Partlow, Judge Robin Mays.

Back row (left to right):      Judge Tom Smitherman, Judge Ralph Wilson, Judge Kim Smith, J.D. Gingerich, Judge Olly Neal, Judge John Dan Kemp, Judge Jim Hannah