The Hon. Jim D. Spears (Ret.) served as a judge for the 12th Judicial Circuit Court of Arkansas. Spears was elected to the bench in 1992 and re-elected in 1998, 2004, and 2010. He retired at the conclusion of his term in 2016.
Prior to his election, Spears was an administrative law judge for the Arkansas Workers Compensation Fund, a position to which he was named in 1983.
Spears earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Arkansas Tech University in 1968. He then completed a J.D. at the University of Arkansas School of Law in 1973.
His memberships have included the Arkansas Access to Justice Commission, the Civic Center Commission, and the Board of Directors for the U.S. Marshals Museum. He also served as an outreach coordinator for Health Benefits for Workers with Disabilities.
He is a recipient of the Lawyer Citizen Award from the Arkansas Bar Association (2004), the Community Service Award from the Arkansas Judicial Council (2004), and the Grady Secrest Humanitarian Award from the Jaycees.