The life and work of Elsijane Trimble Roy is known for breaking barriers for women in the legal profession, as she was the first female to hold several key judicial positions in Arkansas and at a federal level. A trailblazer in the 1930s, Roy’s legal lineage ran deep – she followed in the footsteps of her father, Judge Thomas Clark Trimble III, and grandfather, both attorneys.
Born in 1916, in Lonoke, Roy excelled academically and athletically in her youth, graduating as high school valedictorian in 1934 and being crowned a tennis champion at the University of Arkansas. She completed her undergraduate and law degrees in just five years, graduating from the UA School of Law in 1939 as the only woman in her class.
Admitted to the bar in 1939, Roy began her legal career at W. W. McCrary Jr.’s law firm in Lonoke. She served as a state attorney for the Arkansas Revenue Department and as chief price attorney for the Office of Price Administration during World War II. In 1944, she married fellow law school graduate James Morrison Roy, and they established Arkansas’ first husband-and-wife law firm in Blytheville in 1947.
Roy’s judicial career began in 1966, when former Gov. Orval Faubus appointed her as a justice for the 6th District Court, making her Arkansas’ first female judge. She later served as an assistant attorney general and as a law clerk for Federal District Court judges Gordon E. Young and Paul X. Williams. In 1975, former Gov. David Pryor appointed her to the Arkansas Supreme Court.
In a historic move, former President Jimmy Carter nominated Roy to a federal judgeship in 1977, making her the first woman federal judge in the 8th Circuit. She was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on Nov. 1, 1977, and served with distinction for 21 years, taking senior status in 1989 and retiring in 1999.
Throughout her career, Roy received numerous accolades, including Woman of the Year by the Business and Professional Women’s Club and the Arkansas Democrat. She was awarded honorary degrees from UA and remained dedicated to justice, as reflected by what she considered her favorite Bible verse, Micah 6:8.
Roy’s pioneering career and dedication to the judiciary have left an indelible mark on the state and nation.
Legacy Highlights
- University of Arkansas School of Law
- Trailblazer for women lawyers, as the only female in her UA law school graduating class, first woman judge in Arkansas and first female appointed as a federal judge in the 8th Circuit
- Married fellow law school graduate James Morrison Roy, and they established Arkansas’ first husband-and-wife law firm in Blytheville in 1947
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