Title 16 — Practice, Procedure, And Courts

(a) It is unlawful for any person or organization to operate a lawyer referral service without prior approval of the Arkansas Supreme Court. “Lawyer referral service” means referring clients to attorneys and receiving compensation for the referral. (b) (1) Any court of competent …

The Office of Child Support Enforcement of the Revenue Division of the Department of Finance and Administration, upon reaching a cooperative agreement with the Arkansas Supreme Court, is hereby authorized to develop procedures under which the Clerk of the Supreme Court may each y…

(a) Every citizen of the age of twenty-one (21) years, of good moral character, and who possesses the requisite qualifications of learning and ability may, upon application and in the manner provided for in this subchapter, be admitted to practice as an attorney and counselor at …

Every applicant for admission to practice law in the courts of this state shall be examined pursuant to rules of the Supreme Court of this state and shall, before his or her admission, produce to the court, by sworn petition, satisfactory proof of the qualifications found in § 16…

The Supreme Court may appoint a board of examiners from practitioners in the Supreme Court for each judicial district to conduct the examinations for license, according to a standard adopted by the Supreme Court.

No Justice of the Supreme Court or judge of the circuit or other court shall have power to license any applicant to practice law, but such power shall be exercised by the courts of this state, by proper orders, duly recorded.

Any person admitted to practice law in this state shall make oath to support the Constitutions of the United States and of the State of Arkansas and to faithfully discharge the duties of the office upon which he is about to enter.

No person shall be licensed or permitted to practice law in any of the courts of record of this state until he has been admitted to practice by the Supreme Court of this state, and every person so admitted shall be entitled to practice in all the courts of this state.

It shall be the duty of the clerk of each court of record to keep a register in which he shall register and enroll every attorney or counselor at law licensed to practice in the court of which he is clerk.

(a) Any person, not a member of the Bar of Arkansas, who shall commit or who shall conspire to commit any act defined by the law of this state to be barratry or maintenance, or who shall solicit for himself or for another person who is not a member of the Bar of Arkansas in any m…

Every person who shall attempt to practice law in any court of record without being licensed, sworn, and registered, as required in this subchapter, shall be deemed guilty of a contempt of court and shall be punished as in other cases of contempt.

No clerk of any court of record in this state or sheriff, while he continues to act as such, shall under any pretense whatever act as an attorney at law in the court of which he is clerk or in the county in which he is sheriff.

(a) It shall be unlawful for any corporation or voluntary association to practice or appear as an attorney at law for any person in any court in this state or before any judicial body, to make it a business to practice as an attorney at law for any person in any of the courts, to…

(a) It shall be unlawful for any person to practice law or attempt to practice law in any court in this state or to solicit business as or in any manner represent himself or herself to be an attorney at law when such a person so practicing or attempting to practice law or solicit…

A.C.A. § 16-22-213Current through all legislation of the 2025 Regular Session.Arkansas Code of 1987 Annotated Official EditionCopyright © 2026 by the State of Arkansas All rights reserved

It is hereby found and determined by the General Assembly of the State of Arkansas that the Supreme Court, in Henry, Walden, and Davis v. Goodman, 294 Ark. 25 (1987) , limited the existing Attorney's Lien Law by allowing only a quantum meruit recovery in a case in which the attor…

The compensation of an attorney at law, solicitor, or counselor for his services is governed by agreement, expressed or implied, which is not restrained by law.

(a) Any agreement, contract, or arrangement between litigants or any conduct of the one seeking affirmative relief at the instance and procurement of his adversary which deprives the litigant of his asserted right against his adversary shall constitute a compromise or settlement …

(a) (1) From and after service upon the adverse party of a written notice signed by the client and by the attorney at law, solicitor, or counselor representing the client, which notice is to be served by certified mail and a return receipt being required to establish actual deliv…

If any attorney at law or other person admitted to conduct causes in any court in the State of Arkansas appears to have multiplied the proceedings in any cause before such court, so as to increase costs unreasonably and vexatiously, he shall be required, by order of the court, to…

If any suit in any court of record in this state is dismissed on account of the negligence of any attorney at law, or for his nonattendance at the court without having a just and reasonable excuse for such absence, it shall be at the costs of the attorney at law. Such attorney at…

If any attorney at law receiving money for his client refuses or fails to pay the money over on demand, the attorney at law may be proceeded against in a summary way on motion before the circuit court, either in the county in which he may reside or in the county in which he recei…

In any civil action to recover on an open account, statement of account, account stated, promissory note, bill, negotiable instrument, or contract relating to the purchase or sale of goods, wares, or merchandise, or for labor or services, or breach of contract, unless otherwise p…

(a) (1) In any civil action in which the court having jurisdiction finds that there was a complete absence of a justiciable issue of either law or fact raised by the losing party or his attorney, the court shall award an attorney's fee in an amount not to exceed five thousand dol…

(a) No person licensed to practice law in Arkansas and no partnership or corporation of Arkansas-licensed attorneys or any of its employees, partners, members, officers, or shareholders shall be liable to persons not in privity of contract with the person, partnership, or corpora…

(a) (1) An attorney at law representing an indigent client who is incarcerated in any county jail, city jail, juvenile detention facility, or other facility operated by the Division of Youth Services in the State of Arkansas shall make a report of personal visits with the client.…

Any attorney who is guilty of any felony or infamous crime, of improperly retaining his client's money, of any malpractice, deceit, or misdemeanor in his professional capacity, is an habitual drunkard, or is guilty of any ungentlemanly conduct in the practice of his profession ma…

The charges shall be exhibited in the county in which the offense has been committed, or in which the accused may reside.

The court in which the charges may be exhibited shall fix a time for the hearing of the charges, allowing a reasonable time to notify the accused.

(a) The clerk of the court in which the charges may be exhibited shall issue a citation, notifying the accused to appear at the time and place fixed for the hearing and answer the charges exhibited against him. A copy of the charges shall be attached to the citation. (b) (1) The …

If the accused fails to appear according to the command of the citation, his appearance may be compelled by attachment, or the court may proceed ex parte.

Upon charges other than a conviction for an indictable offense, the court shall have power only to suspend the accused from practice until the facts shall be ascertained in the manner prescribed in this subchapter.

If the charges are for an indictable offense and no indictment is found or, if found, is not prosecuted to trial within six (6) months, the suspension shall be discontinued unless the delay is produced by the absence or the procurement of the accused, in which case the suspension…

The record of conviction or acquittal of any indictable offense shall in all cases be conclusive evidence of the facts, and the court shall proceed thereon accordingly.

When the matter charged is not indictable, the trial of the facts alleged shall be had in the court in which the charges are pending. The trial shall be by jury. If the accused fails to appear or, upon appearing, does not require a jury, the trial shall be by the court sitting wi…

All charges exhibited under this subchapter shall be verified by affidavit and shall be prosecuted by the prosecuting attorney, prosecuting in the district in which the charges are pending.

(a) In all cases of conviction, the court shall pronounce judgment of removal or suspension, according to the facts found. (b) Every judgment of removal or suspension made in pursuance of this subchapter shall operate, while it continues in force, as a removal or suspension from …

(a) In all cases of conviction for felony or other infamous crime of any attorney at law in any other state or territory of the United States, such conviction, on the production of a copy of the record thereof, shall have the same effect as if such attorney had been convicted in …

In all cases of a trial of charges, the accused may except to any decision of the court and may prosecute an appeal to the Supreme Court, or writ of error, in all respects as in actions at law.

(a) A person commits an offense if, with intent to obtain any economic benefit for himself or herself, the person:(1) Contracts with any person to represent that person with regard to personal causes of action for property damages or personal injury;(2) Advises any person as to t…