NLG Arkansas will hold its first-ever Public Interest Law Conference on March 12, 2022 from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. with a happy hour social event to follow.

The Public Interest Law Conference will be held at the Darragh Center in the Central Arkansas Library (100 S Rock St, Little Rock, AR 72201) in downtown Little Rock, followed by a meet and greet at the nearby Cannibal and Craft (307 President Clinton Ave, Little Rock, AR 72201), featuring the musical stylings of board member and chapter President Abby Brenneman.

The Public Interest Law Conference is open to the public, with a sliding scale suggested donation: $100 for attorneys, $25 for non-attorneys, students are free.

All attendees must show proof of vaccination and booster at check-in.
Attorneys are eligible to receive four CLE credits.

The schedule is as follows:· 12pm-12:30pm: Check-in - An outdoor food truck will be available for those interested in eating and socializing outside beforehand.·

12:30pm-1:30pm: Guardianships and Immigration Proceedings presented by Stephen Coger of Arkansas Immigrant Defense will focus on the role of guardianships in immigration and opportunities to include guardianships into legal practice.·

1:40 pm-2:40 pm: Criminal Law and Immigration presented by Laura Ferner of Crouch, Harwell, Fryar & Ferner, PLLC will focus on the intersectional issues of immigration and criminal law.·

2:50-3:50 Veterans Discharge Upgrades and the Disproportionate Effects on Historically Disenfranchised Communities presented by Professor Rebecca Feldman of the Veterans Legal Services Clinic at Bowen School of Law will focus on the pervasive issues of racial discrimination in the discharge of veterans.·

4:00pm – 5:00pm Immigration Law and Afghan Refugees in Arkansas presented by Laura Ferner of Crouch, Harwell, Fryar & Ferner, PLLC will focus on immigration work related to the settlement of refugees in Arkansas from Afghanistan.·

5:00-5:45pm – Artist Presentation of three, Little Rock-based artists Nathaniel Roe, Justin Bryant, and Josh Summitt will share their visual art works exploring various public interest issues.·

5:45pm - Mixer Meet & Greet. Attendees are invited to a mixer to meet and greet with other lawyers and community leaders from all over the state. Enjoy the musical stylings of our very own board member and AR Chapter President Abby Brenneman as DJ AB at nearby venue Cannibal and Craft.

For questions or more information, contact President Abby Brenneman at nlgar@nlg.org.