Arkansas Bar Association's president sworn in

HOT SPRINGS -- The Arkansas Bar Association on Friday inaugurated a new president, private-practice attorney Suzanne Clark from Fayetteville.

Clark was sworn in by Arkansas Supreme Court Chief Justice Dan Kemp to serve a one-year term as the leader of the state's largest professional legal group.

In a brief speech to the group, Clark said it would be an "exciting year" for the bar, as the group ramps up its opposition to Issue 1, the November ballot question on attorneys' fees, damage caps and court rules. The bar association also will review its organizational structure in the next year, she said.

"We collectively need to be the voice for the voters to make sure that [Issue 1] does not happen," Clark said.

According to her website, Clark specializes in business and construction litigation at her own Clark Law Firm.

A native of Rhode Island, Clark, 58, said she spent 20 years as a chemical engineer in the semiconductor industry in both California's Silicon Valley and Texas.

She then married an Arkansan and switched professions.

Clark said she graduated from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Law School in 2008, where she was editor-in-chief of the law review. Earlier in her career, she earned science degrees at universities in Connecticut.

The outgoing president of the bar, Tony Hilliard, also joined the legal profession later in life, switching from his career as an accountant at 36.

Hilliard is an attorney with the Pine Bluff firm Ramsay, Bridgforth, Robinson and Raley. He also served a one-year term as bar president.

Metro on 06/17/2018

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