Three attorneys leave Arkansas Judiciary’s disciplinary office in short succession

The Arkansas Supreme Court building in Little Rock. (John Sykes/Arkansas Advocate)

The Arkansas judiciary office that oversees discipline for attorneys and judges has three recent vacancies on its seven-person staff, including the executive director position, and the reason for the former director’s departure is unclear.

According to Lisa Ballard’s personnel file, obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request, she held the Office of Professional Conduct executive director position from April 2021 to May 16. The file does not include a letter of resignation or list a reason for termination.

Ballard could not be reached for comment last week or this week.

The judiciary posted the application for the vacant executive director job on its online job board on May 23. Deputy executive director Charlene Fleetwood is interim executive director.

Senior staff attorney Anna Catherine Cargile and staff attorney Cameron Bowden each voluntarily resigned from the Office of Professional Conduct, according to their personnel files. Bowden resigned in April to take a job with the city of Little Rock, according to his resignation letter, and Cargile resigned May 17.

Bowden’s position is being advertised on the job board; Cargile’s had not been posted as of Thursday.

Both started working at the Office of Professional Conduct in September 2022.

The Office of the Judiciary did not provide employee evaluation records in response to the Advocate’s FOIA request, citing the section of the FOIA that exempts these records before “final administrative resolution of any suspension or termination.”

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