Biographer of Judge Richard Arnold to Give Reading

Polly Price, author of Judge Richard S. Arnold: A Legacy of Justice on the Federal Bench

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The biographer of Judge Richard S. Arnold will give a reading and presentation at noon on Thursday, Oct. 15, in the E.J. Ball Courtroom in the Leflar Law Center. The reading by Emory law professor Polly Price is free and open to the public.

In 1994, President Bill Clinton called Arnold “the most brilliant man on the federal bench.” It is widely speculated that Clinton would have nominated Arnold, a native Arkansan and federal appellate court judge, for a seat on the U.S. Supreme Court but for concerns regarding Arnold’s health. More than 100 federal judges endorsed Arnold for Supreme Court Justice Harry Blackmun’s vacated seat.

Arnold, who died in 2004 after a long battle with lymphoma, was praised by other judges for his intellect, affability and the clarity and insight of his written opinions. U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who provided the foreword to Arnold’s biography, wrote of him, “My generation knew no finer federal judge. Richard Arnold was a man of enormous intelligence. He was as kind and courteous as he was wise. His opinions, speeches, and law journal commentary will continue to inspire legions of jurists to follow in his way."

Price’s book traces Arnold’s life and work in Arkansas and Washington, D.C., including his service as a law clerk to Justice William Brennan and as an adviser to then-Gov. and later U.S. Sen. Dale Bumpers. Arnold served as federal judge from 1978 until his death in 2004, including extensive service as the chief judge of the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals; the U.S. Courthouse in Little Rock is named in his honor. Arnold and his brother, 8th Circuit Judge Morris “Buzz” Arnold, remain the only two brothers ever to serve together on the same federal court.

Price, professor of law and associate dean of faculty at Emory University School of Law, is the author of Judge Richard S. Arnold: A Legacy of Justice on the Federal Bench. A native of Russellville, Ark., and a graduate of Emory University and Harvard Law School, Price’s experiences gave her special insight to Arnold’s life – from 1989 to 1991, she clerked for Arnold on the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals.   

“Judge Arnold believed deeply in our nation’s justice system,” said Bill Kincaid, associate general counsel of the University of Arkansas, and a former Arnold clerk. “Judge Arnold was unmatched in his integrity and in his civility toward others. He always reminded us that there was no such thing as a “little case,” because every case was deeply important to the parties involved.”

Price’s reading is co-sponsored by the School of Law and the Diane D. Blair Center of Southern Politics and Society.