Meet one of the Arkansas Bar Association's Members - David M. Fuqua
How long have you been an attorney and what type of law do you practice?
I began my practice in 1980 and, like all young lawyers, I started doing any kind of work that came across my desk. Over the years, my practice has become focused on defending civil rights and employment cases. I’ve been privileged to represent many of the elected officials and governmental entities in Central Arkansas. My employment practice includes defending state and federal discrimination and wrongful termination claims, wage & hour claims, and political and First Amendment retaliation claims.
How long have you been an ArkBar member and why did you join?
I joined the Association in 1980. My one regret as a bar member is that I was not more active in the association in the early years of my practice. I missed many opportunities to stay connected with my law school classmates and make new friends and contacts. My time as a member of the House of Delegates was an important course correction for me, and I have been actively engaged in bar activities now for many years. The question for me is not why I joined the bar but why I became active in it. Participation in our association is an important way for me to give back to the profession and actively engage in bettering the administration of justice. Bar participation has given me the opportunity to serve on Supreme Court task forces and committees, as well as association committees. My time as a member of the House of Delegates and the Board of Governors provided insight for me into the workings of the bar and of its importance to the judicial system, the administration of justice, and the practice of law. Personally, I have cemented old friendships and made new friendships and have made myself and my firm more visible in the legal community. I encourage all young lawyers that I meet to join the association and become an active member in the Young Lawyers Section. Bar participation is an important part of the experience of being a lawyer and enhancing the bonds we have to our profession.
The association is grateful to you for planning the 2014 annual meeting. Why did you choose technology as the theme for this meeting?
I have been interested in gadgets and technology for as long as I can remember. Computers and electronics simplify many of the routine tasks we perform as lawyers and enhance our ability to perform tasks such as legal research and document production. Unfortunately, computers and technology have become a part of the work rather than a tool. Although I embrace the changes that technology brings to use, I understand that we are losing some of our privacy and are at risk of substituting “computing” for thinking. Our job as lawyers is to think. So in planning the 2014 Annual Meeting, I wanted to incorporate programs that demonstrate the uses lawyers can make of technology, such as in trial practice, as well as the risks we face as members of a technological society. We have a CLE track this year devoted to privacy, including presentations on the evolving jurisprudence of privacy, as well as the practical and legal implications of information technology. My goal is to present programs that bring technology issues up to the cutting edge but reinforce the core values of legal analysis and the all-important human component of the practice of law.
Thank you for choosing to belong to the ArkBar, David!
David's contact information can be found on the ArkBar Member Directory.