Brill to relinquish search-panel chair

He will help cull chancellor hopefuls

Howard Brill
Howard Brill

FAYETTEVILLE -- Howard Brill's appointment as chief justice of the Arkansas Supreme Court means he will step down as chairman of the University of Arkansas chancellor search committee.

But Brill will remain on the 17-member panel appointed by University of Arkansas System President Donald Bobbitt, UA System spokesman Nate Hinkel wrote in an email. Brill will participate as his schedule allows.

A new chairman will be appointed, but Hinkel said he could not say when that person might be named.

Brill, a University of Arkansas law professor, said Gov. Asa Hutchinson first approached him last week about the state Supreme Court post.

"Thursday morning, I had a call from the governor's office asking if I would be interested in being considered," Brill said during a news conference at the Fayetteville campus about his appointment. "I said I'd be honored to be considered."

On Tuesday, Hutchinson introduced Brill as his choice to step in for the next 16 months to replace Jim Hannah, who has said he's resigning from the court at the end of the month because of health reasons.

Brill said he had a brief conversation Friday with Hutchinson, then informed Stacy Leeds, dean of the UA School of Law, about the possibility.

"I met with the governor at the Chancellor Hotel Monday morning, and when he offered the job, I accepted the job, and I notified the dean shortly thereafter," Brill said.

He said he has been granted a leave of absence by UA, and he expects to return to his role as a professor after his appointment ends.

Brill deferred comment to the UA System about his role in the search to replace former Chancellor G. David Gearhart, who retired from his post at the end of July. Former Chancellor Daniel Ferritor is serving as the school's interim chancellor.

"The purpose of the search committee is to identify candidates, individuals who might be suitable to lead this institution as the chancellor and to recommend, to give some names to the president and board of trustees," Brill said.

On Friday, Brill and the committee met for about five hours at the UA-Fayetteville campus with members of the search firm that is helping to recruit and check references of candidates. The UA System has a contract that lists a $155,000 payment to Florida-based executive search firm Greenwood/Asher & Associates Inc.

The UA System's trustees are involved in a case pending before the Supreme Court involving a dispute over real and personal property tax collections and certain campus business operations, including fast-food outlets. In response to efforts by Washington County to collect such taxes, the university has said state laws grant it immunity because university property belongs to the state. In December, a circuit judge ruled the university did not owe taxes.

Told that a case involving the university was before the Supreme Court, Brill said he was unaware of it. Asked whether there were any cases where he knew he would recuse himself, Brill said he helped write a judicial conduct code that addresses the topic of recusals.

"The test that I've always given lawyers, and the test that I have given judges, is if you think there is some doubt, and if your impartiality might reasonably be questioned, then yes, you should recuse. So, beyond that, I'm not going to talk because, No. 1, I don't know what the case is," Brill said. "But obviously, I have to be very alert to that."

Metro on 08/27/2015

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