Former Fayetteville Attorney Introducing Russian Judges to City, Legal System

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Rick Taylor, longtime Fayetteville attorney, is hosting five judges from Russia through Saturday, Sept. 22. Taylor and the judges are participating in a seven-day exchange program sponsored by the Open World Program at the U.S. Library of Congress.

The program gives the Russian officials the chance to experience American law and culture. The judges participated in a short orientation hosted by the Administrative Office of U.S. Courts in Washington, D.C. They then arrived in Fayetteville to observe how the U.S. courts operate.

While in Fayetteville, they have already met with University of Arkansas School of Law professors and students and toured the newly renovated Leflar Law Center. Throughout the week they will visit in Fayetteville with Bud Cummins, a former U.S. Attorney, attend several court hearings and sit in on an alternative dispute resolution meeting. Their evenings will be filled with social events representing the diverse atmosphere Fayetteville has to offer.

“Through the help of two translators, the judges are getting a glimpse of the American legal system, and I am learning more and more about the Russian system” Taylor said. “I am really impressed with how hard these judges are working to adapt to the transition their legal system is currently in because of the expanding Russian economy. They are constantly having to adjust to new business litigation.”

Taylor, a 1980 graduate of the University of Arkansas School of Law, practiced law in Fayetteville for 22 years and recently moved to Little Rock after being appointed to the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern and Western Districts of Arkansas. After hearing of the program, he said he knew Fayetteville and northwest Arkansas would provide a unique experience for the Russian visitors.

For more information about the program, Taylor can be reached at (501) 680-1093.