Public service began at an early age for Joyce Williams Warren, and it led her to break multiple barriers in the legal field, including becoming the state’s first Black female judge on her way to working in multiple roles with Arkansan Bill Clinton.
At the young age of 11, Warren found herself making history as one of the first Black students to integrate West Side Junior High School in Little Rock, following the historic integration of Central High School. She graduated from Central High in 1967 and earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology and anthropology from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. While attending law school part-time at night, she married James Warren and had two sons. She became the first Black female graduate of the UA Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law in 1976.
Warren started her legal career as a law clerk for Arkansas Supreme Court Associate Justice Darrell Hickman. She then served as an assistant attorney general for Bill Clinton and later worked as an administrative assistant during Clinton’s first term as governor. Her diverse roles included in-house legal adviser for the Arkansas Department of Health and staff attorney for Central Arkansas Legal Services.
In the early 1980s, Warren was appointed Pulaski County Juvenile Court judge by Judge Don Venhaus, making history in the state. She later served as paternity judge and was appointed by Clinton to the Arkansas Juvenile Justice Commission. In 1989, she became the first Black person elected to a state-level trial court judgeship in Arkansas, serving on the juvenile division bench until her retirement in 2020.
Warren’s career focused on advocating for children and families. She played a crucial role in reforming Arkansas’ juvenile justice system, enhancing adoption laws and establishing standards for attorneys in child abuse cases.
Recognized for her contributions, Warren has received numerous honors, including the Outstanding Jurist Award from the Arkansas Bar Association and the Arkansas Bar Foundation in 2021. She was named one of the Top 100 Women in Arkansas by Arkansas Business and National CASA Judge of the Year in 2012. She continues to serve as a judicial consultant for Zero To Three, advising on its Infant Toddler Court Program.
Legacy Highlights
- University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law
- Made her mark in history in a number of firsts as a Black female: first graduate of UA Little Rock’s law school, first judge in Arkansas, and first to serve as chair of the State Board of Law Examiners and the Judicial Discipline and Disability Commission; also was the first Black person elected to a state-level trial court judgeship in Arkansas and to serve as a law clerk for the Arkansas Supreme Court
- Dedicated career to improving the juvenile justice system and advocating for children and families
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