Eric F. Walker, an assistant law school dean, has been selected to be the Little Rock School District's first staff attorney.
Mike Poore, superintendent of the Little Rock district, recommended Walker to Arkansas Education Commissioner Johnny Key, who serves in lieu of a school board for the state-controlled school district and has the authority to approve the hiring.
Walker was one of 10 who applied for the job after Poore announced in October a plan to hire a staff lawyer to work in conjunction with the district's longtime outside legal firm, Friday, Eldredge and Clark of Little Rock.
"With nearly 20 years of experience and the ability to handle a variety of legal matters, Mr. Walker has established an excellent reputation in his profession and in the community," Poore said in announcing the appointment. "Having his level of expertise and practical skills in-house will be a tremendous service to the district and our stakeholders."
The plan to employ a staff attorney is part of an overall plan for cutting expenses in the 2017-18 school year. Poore has said the addition of a staff attorney has the potential of cutting the district's annual legal costs by $100,000.
If approved by Key, Walker would earn an annual salary of $99,725. He is currently assistant dean of career services at the William H. Bowen School of Law at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. He has been in that position since July 2015.
Walker has worked as legal counsel for Windstream Communications for about 2½ years, as general counsel at Philander Smith College from 2005-12, as an Arkansas assistant attorney general from 2000-05 and as a deputy prosecuting attorney in Little Rock from 1998 to July 2000.
Walker has a bachelor's degree in political science from Morehouse College in Atlanta, and he earned his law degree from Indiana University School of Law at Bloomington in May 1998.
Walker is expected to start work in the district on Dec. 12.
NW News on 11/24/2016