(a)
(1) A circuit judge of any judicial district, any county of which has a population of two hundred forty thousand (240,000) or more according to the most recent federal census, may appoint one (1) law clerk for the county who shall be a licensed attorney or a graduate of a law school approved by the State Board of Law Examiners.
(2) In any judicial district having more than one (1) division of a circuit court, the appointment of the law clerk shall be by concurrence of a majority of the judges of that district.
(b) The law clerk may, in addition, serve as court reporter for the court or any division of the court.
(c) Each circuit judge of a judicial district having a population of two hundred forty thousand (240,000) or more according to the most recent federal census may appoint a law clerk who may also serve as master who shall be a graduate of a law school approved by the State Board of Law Examiners.
(d) The law clerk shall serve at the discretion and under the direction of the circuit judge to whom he or she is assigned.
(e) The powers and duties of the law clerk shall be to administer oaths and affirmations; to take acknowledgments, affidavits, and depositions; to conduct pretrial and prejudgment hearings; and to make recommendations for dispositions to the circuit judge.
(f) A law clerk may be assigned such additional duties at the discretion of the circuit judge as are not inconsistent with the Constitution and laws of the State of Arkansas.
(g)
(1) The salary of a law clerk for circuit court provided for under this section shall be the same salary as provided for a circuit court reporter in the district in which the law clerk is appointed.
(2) Should the law clerk serve both as court reporter and law clerk, he or she shall receive in addition thereto the sum of six hundred dollars ($600) per annum.