(a)

(1) There shall be an office for the administration of the nonjudicial business of the judicial branch which shall be known as the "Administrative Office of the Courts".

(2) There shall be a Director of the Administrative Office of the Courts who shall be nominated by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, subject to the approval of the Supreme Court and the Arkansas Judicial Council Inc. Subsequent to the appointment, the director shall hold office at the pleasure of the Supreme Court.

(b) The director shall meet the qualifications as determined by the Supreme Court.

(c) The director shall receive such salary as may be fixed from time to time by the biennial appropriations salary act for the Administrative Office of the Courts.

(d) The director shall not engage directly or indirectly in the practice of law and shall hold no other office or employment.

(e) The director, subject to the direction of the Supreme Court, shall perform the following functions:

(1) Examine the administrative methods of the courts and make recommendations to the Supreme Court for their improvement;

(2) Examine the state of the dockets of the courts, secure information as to their needs for assistance, if any, prepare statistical data and reports of the business of the courts, and advise the Supreme Court to the end that proper action may be taken;

(3) Examine the estimates of the courts of the state for appropriations and present to the Supreme Court recommendations concerning them;

(4) Examine the statistical systems of the courts and make recommendations to the Supreme Court for a uniform system of judicial statistics;

(5) Collect, analyze, and report to the Supreme Court statistical and other data concerning the business of the courts;

(6) With the approval of the Supreme Court and at the request of the Arkansas Judicial Council Inc., the director shall act as Secretary of the Arkansas Judicial Council Inc., and shall perform such duties as may be assigned to him or her;

(7) Examine the data processing needs of the courts and make recommendations to the Supreme Court as to the purchase and use of hardware and software for computer systems, telecommunications systems, and microfilming systems, and provide education to the courts on the use of such systems so as to improve the quality and efficiency of justice in the state;

(8) Assist the Supreme Court in the operation of the Supreme Court Library;

(9) Attend to the other nonjudicial business of the judicial branch under such rules and regulations as the Supreme Court may by order adopt.

(f) The director shall, with the approval of the Supreme Court, appoint such assistants as may be necessary. He or she shall be provided with such office facilities as may be required.

(g) The director shall advise and assist clerks of trial courts in the keeping of records of their proceedings and shall make reports and recommendations in connection therewith to the Supreme Court, the trial judges, and the clerks of those courts.

(h) The clerks, officers, and employees of the courts shall comply with all requests of the director for information and statistical data relating to the business of the courts and the expenditure of public funds for their maintenance and operation. The director shall notify the Supreme Court of any noncompliance with such requests.