Margaret Dobson President

Stronger Together

Margaret Dobson understands the power of lawyers working together to make a difference. To illustrate, she invited the past presidents of the Arkansas Bar Association to participate in her swearing-in ceremony held on June 16, 2023. Before Chief Justice Dan Kemp administered the oath of office, 17 past presidents stood in front of the stage and passed a colossal gavel from one to another until it reached Margaret. This ceremony highlighted the Association’s strength and the enduring legacy of its leadership.

“It is a great visual of the legacy of the Arkansas Bar,” Margaret said. “We pass to the future the ability and the responsibility of doing what we do here.”

“125 years ago, a group of people got together and decided that they wanted to form the Arkansas Bar Association because they knew that we are stronger together,” she added. “Together we can help each other. Together we can help each other be excellent in what we do. We can make connections with each other and with other professionals and we can truly make a difference in the world. And we can help our members make differences in the areas each of us influence.”

During her swearing-in speech, Margaret showed the audience the 1904 book of the Arkansas Code. It was from the library of her late father, former Arkansas Supreme Court Justice Conley F Byrd, Sr., of Redfield, and it contained the entire set of laws for the state of Arkansas.

“We have gone from horse and buggy to airplanes and electric cars,” Margaret said. “We have gone from telegraphs to bluetooth and emails and instant communications; pony express to texting, candlelight and ink wells to the Zoom ring light. All through this path, all through these changes, the Arkansas Bar Association has been here. And we have been working with and supporting the lawyers who have helped make changes, help initiate new laws and made sure we are following the rule of law. It is important to do those things. And we are not done. We are constantly evolving and constantly working to be better.”

“This legal practice is so much faster today than it was when I started and light years faster than when my dad was practicing and served on the court. And there is an even greater need for the Arkansas Bar Association than there was 125 years ago. We need to help each other excel. We are stronger together. And we can help each other be excellent. We can help each other make the connections that need to be made. We can help each other make a difference in the world.”

Servant Leadership and Practical Wisdom

Margaret is an excellent example of what servant leadership looks like. She learned from her father whose motto was “each day I’ll do a golden deed.” True to his word, during his campaign for the Supreme Court in 1966, he loaned his car to a family stranded on the side of the road trying to make it to a funeral in Mississippi.

“My father would tell me that some people were made for buying, selling and trading and we were meant for service,” she said.

Margaret grew up on her family’s farm in Redfield with her brothers, Dr. Conley Byrd and Paul Byrd, and her sister Susan Holmes. Her brother-in-law, retired Judge Leon Holmes, has known her most of her life. “I have known Margaret since she was three years old,” Judge Holmes said. “When she was around five years, Johnny Walters, an old mechanic in Redfield, said of Margaret, ‘I hope she grows up good because if she don’t, as smart as she is, she’s gonna be a peck of trouble.’ Margaret did grow up good, and she remained smart—smart enough to be executive editor of the law review in law school and to clerk for Judge Bill Wilson afterward. Margaret is not just academic smart; she is also smart in practical matters. When she was around seven, her mother bought an assortment of cows— Angus, Herefords, Holsteins, Jerseys, etc. Someone commented, ‘no telling what’s going to come up from that pasture.’ Margaret responded, ‘Maybe baby calves.’ It is that practical wisdom that has enabled Margaret to become first rate in the area of family law and estate planning. As that story suggests, Margaret is country (and proud of it). When she was about eight, on a trip to Little Rock with her mother, Margaret saw a street cleaner and asked her mother, ‘Mama, what kind of combine is that?’ That she is genuinely and unashamedly country is what makes Margaret the right kind of person to practice solo in a small town.”

“Margaret’s intelligence and her practical wisdom have earned her the respect of the bar,” he added. “Her country spirit makes her someone with whom her clients are comfortable, someone they trust. When I want legal advice, I call Margaret. I do so because she is highly intelligent, very practical, and completely trustworthy. I am proud that she is my sister-in-law.”

Margaret is dedicated to her community. She is a small business owner representing families in her community through private practice in Sheridan. She currently serves as Redfield’s city attorney where for 10 years she has prosecuted crime and advised local officials. Margaret is also an attorney ad litem representing children and incapacitated individuals.

“It has been a phenomenal opportunity serving my community,” she said. “I have represented people from all walks of life.”

She is a Rotarian, a Paul Harris Fellow, and a board member for a local and regional library. She serves on an Incubator Committee at the Bowen School of Law that helps lawyers who want to establish practices in rural areas of the state. Margaret and her husband David have three sons, Nathan, Byrd and Shayne. She is active in her church and in Boy Scouts.

Past President Tony Hilliard has seen how involved Margaret is in her community. “Margaret is the type of small-town lawyer who inspired a lot of us to go into the legal profession,” Tony said. “Years ago I watched her lead the Grant County Bar Association and became aware of how involved she is in her community. She and I often discuss the best way to serve clients with difficult situations. Like so many small-town lawyers she must work in more areas of the law, but she is smart and willing to ask others with more experience in those legal areas for help.”

Margaret has 20 plus years of legal experience and manages a well-rounded law practice that has included family law, probate, and civil, as well as criminal prosecution. She was appointed by Governor Asa Hutchinson as a special justice on the Arkansas Supreme Court and has served as a special judge in several local jurisdictions. Margaret graduated cum laude from Harding University with a Bachelor of Business Administration in 1990. She graduated with highest honors from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock School of Law with a Juris Doctor in 1999. She served as executive editor of the law review.

Longtime friend Dustin McDaniel has known Margaret since law school and is proud to see her lead the Association. “Margaret is smart, hard-working and kind,” he said. “We met in law school, where she was gracious and friendly to everyone and always at the top of our class academically. She brings a calm confidence to any case or circumstance and commands the respect of everyone around her. I trust her completely, and I know that she is the right person to lead the Arkansas Bar Association this year. She will do an outstanding job.”

Past President Jim Julian had the opportunity to work with Margaret during her time as a paralegal. “I met Margaret many years ago when she came to work for our law firm as a temporary addition to our staff,” Jim said. “As it turned out, Margaret was close friends with my paralegal, Connie Helmich. When Connie was preparing to take maternity leave, she arranged for Margaret to step into her paralegal role. Connie assured me that everything was taken care of. Man was it! Margaret was immediately impressive in everything she did for me. In fact, she did such an outstanding job that I started trying to recruit her to join our firm once she completed law school. Margaret is that rare combination of superior intellect, strong work ethic and great sense of humor. I am proud that we have remained friends all these years, and I am certain that the Arkansas Bar Association is in great hands this year with Margaret at the helm.”

Chief U.S. District Judge Price Marshall also had the opportunity to work with Margaret as a paralegal and is proud to see her leading the Association. They worked on a complicated environmental case in front of Judge George Howard in Jonesboro. Margaret was there to support Alan Perkins during the bench trial. “During that long week I was impressed with Margaret’s ability to work as part of a team, find common ground, and help all of the defendants without deviating from her primary role of supporting Alan and representing their defendant,” Chief Judge Marshall said. “She was very much a team player and always willing to help. So, a few years later when I was at the bar meeting, I remember being so excited to see her. I knew that she was going to be a fantastic lawyer who could work with colleagues even where interests diverge and find common ground, build consensus, and resolve difficult issues, which is one of the important things that lawyers do.”

Margaret knows well how to maintain a successful work-life balance. Despite having her first child during law school, she still managed to graduate near the top of her class. Justin T. Allen worked on the law review with Margaret in law school. “Although we are both from Sheridan, I didn’t get to know Margaret until we started law school together,” he said. “But it didn’t take me long to figure out that she was brilliant, motivated and a delightful person. You have to admire anyone who can excel in that setting while at the same time starting a family. And, to no surprise, all she has done since then is find success. The sssociation is in great hands under her leadership.”

After law school Margaret clerked for U.S. District Judge Billy Roy Wilson who encouraged her to open her own practice. “She is very bright and writes well,” said Judge Wilson. “After she left the clerkship in my chambers she became a successful lawyer and she undoubtedly will be a fine bar president.”

Attorney and former circuit judge Thomas E. Brown has known Margaret for many years. “We have been involved on opposite sides in many cases and on similar sides on a few cases,” he said. “She has always exhibited great professionalism, common courtesy and respect. She is prompt and timely in her pleadings and paperwork. She has always been willing to sit down in a fair and reasonable manner to try and work out circumstances and cases. I am glad that she has been elected as bar president and I know she will do a great job. I have the utmost respect for her and the way she practices law. Especially in the matters of civility, courtesy, and respect for other attorneys.”

Past President Denise Hoggard said she has known for a long time that Margaret is the right person for this job. “She was born into the profession, and it is in her bloodline,” Denise said. “Being raised by a lawyer, and Arkansas Supreme Court Justice, she spent her life appreciating and respecting the rule of law. She watched that being modeled for her.”

“Initially, she tried to resist the gravitational pull of this profession, but she knew in her heart that this is her calling,” Denise added. “She cares about the quality of the practice of law and the fair administration of justice. Even when the job calls for long hours, she never forgets about the importance of a task well done. It matters to her the impact she has on individuals, her community, and the people of our state that we serve. She is indefatigable in her efforts to make the quality of life better for all around her or in her sphere of influence. She’s smart, conscientious, committed, caring, practical, collegial and is a respecter of all persons.”

“I have worked with her in litigation, and I have consulted with her for her sound legal counsel. She is strategic in her thinking and is a problem solver. On the personal side, she is a valued friend and someone I look up to with pride.”

Here to help

As an active member of the Bar Association since she began practicing, Margaret appreciates the value of membership. As president she wants to ensure members gain the most value from their membership. One of the first projects with her new leadership team is to review the results of the membership survey that Immediate Past President Joe Kolb initiated.

“We did a member survey of what you value and how we can help you excel, how we can help you connect,” Margaret said. “We are going through those survey results.

We are listening. We are going to see what struggles practicing lawyers are having. What are the struggles our young lawyers are having and how can we help meet those needs? How can we help them excel? We want to give you the tools that you need to be excellent. We are going to look at the things we are doing, evaluating those and making sure we are getting the best bang for our buck and what we do for you.”

“I want, I welcome, your participation,” she added. “We are the Bar Association. It is not a group of people in a building in Little Rock. It is everyone in this room and I want everyone to be involved. We are committed to helping you connect. If you are willing to host an activity in your town, in your circuit, and you want someone from the Bar Association to come and speak, we would love to do that. Please reach out and let us know.”

“We want to make a difference in the world. We want to help you make a difference in the world. Yes, this year is going to be a heavy lift. As every past president has told me, it’s going to be a lot of work. But it is worth it. It is worth it to help this association support what we do because what we do is worth it. It is good. It is honorable. We are a line of defense for people who need help working our system. We are the change makers who make sure that the laws are more fair and equitable. And we protect the rule of law. I want to thank each of you for giving me the opportunity to serve. To give back something to this profession. I think what we do is very noble.” ■

By Jay K. Robbins