Today we’d like to introduce you to Bobbie Edmonds.
Hi Bobbie, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
Hello, I am Bobbie Edmonds- I am from humble beginnings and was born on a plantation in rural North Louisiana. As a child, and being the oldest of 6, I picked cotton and pecans to contribute to the finances of our household. Mother and father always instilled education as a foundation to better ourselves. So, while in elementary and secondary school, I dreamed of being a fashion model on the cover of a magazine – so I could travel the world in fancy clothes, meet and help people, and explore the world to enhance my education. I was active in my high school 4-H Club. I wanted to challenge my skills by entering the sewing, art and egg cooking contests. Even had a recipe published. I won both state and regional awards. Fast forward, I was co-valedictorian of the high school class and was awarded a 4-year academic scholarship to attend Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Years later, I earned a degree in Interior Design; and pursued law school at Southern University School of Law to enhance my financial forecast, and to help people. Along the way, I also worked for a local florist, designing and preparing special occasion bouquets and funeral arrangements. After passing the Louisiana Bar, I was awarded a fellowship from Washington, D.C., through the Reginald Heber Smith Fellowship program, wherein we provided free legal assistance to low-income residents through a local legal aid office. In fact, I became the youngest executive director of a legal aid corporation in the state of Louisiana and won accolades for the services we provided to low-income citizens at Southwest Louisiana Legal Services, Inc. in Lake Charles. While leading the corporation three years as the top executive, I decided to move to another state to start a private practice of law. Texas was the winner! I relocated, passed Texas Bar, and started my law practice after working a year with Attorney Huey P. Mitchell in Fort Worth. Since I was a stranger to Texas, I dedicated myself to being connected and active in the community, schools; and to enhance educational options for youth. It was essential that I participated in area schools’ career days, community meetings joined civic boards, and was active in church events. Being a positive role model/mentor was important in my professional role.
As a part of my practice outreach, I held free legal seminars to empower citizens and coordinated events utilizing my interior design skills. I also wanted to enhance youth education, reward them for good behavior, and guide them to become better citizens and students if they encountered the law for injurious behavior. In 1992, after a casual conversation with now extraordinaire, Steve Harvey, on ways to curtail youth violence, gang activity, safe schools, and promote academic excellence, I organized an annual event called Rally for Education. Later, it was incorporated as a non-profit corporation. The Law Office of Bobbie Edmonds always engaged in community involvement, youth education, and service. The free annual youth rally is present to inspire, educate, build self-esteem, self-confidence, expand the horizons of youth, to allow them to see/meet real role models, politicians, judges, lawyers, ministers, businesspeople, celebrities, and engage with them. Students are allowed to express themselves and win prizes in the creative writing, poetry, and art contests. Oba William King was an amazing storyteller who enlightened youth at the Rally.
Once, I handled a case for a low-income honor student who worked in my student work-study program. Unbeknown to me, he was suspended forty school days from high school in his graduation semester over an alleged assaultive rap poem he presented during his creative writing class at Dunbar High School in Fort Worth, Texas. This meant that a Black male who had perfect attendance since grade school, and who in the top ten percent of his graduating class would be out of school most of his semester, miss his prom and would not be able to walk with the graduation class. His grandmother disclosed the situation, and informed me that they had no money to hire a lawyer. I took on the case against FWISD and advocated for a reduction in days to ten suspended days. The District would not allow him to return to his home school after he successfully completed his suspension. With prayer to God, we filed a federal lawsuit to protect his civil rights – no money down. We won! This motivated me to write a handbook to help parents and students through the school disciplinary process entitled, “The Legal Navigator.”
Attorney Kelly Whitaker and I initially discussed this concept- the rest is history. I wrote a theatrical legal play entitled, “Santa Goes to Jail”, to provide a cast of fifth graders an opportunity to play key people in a real jury trial, from judge, prosecutor, defense attorney, witnesses, court reporter, bailiff, and the news media personalities. In 2018, the play garnered a State Bar of Texas – Law-Related Education Award for youth legal education. Many awards have been bestowed upon me through the years, Lawyer of the Year, Phenomenal Woman, Elite News Woman of Wisdom, Tarrant County Bar Professionalism Award, and Safe Haven Businesswoman. God has always been the leader in my life, as well as my family. He continues to open doors and allow me to use my talents fighting for justice, and improving the lives of humanity. I am an Associate Judge for the City of Forest Hill, when needed.
I am currently in my position in life today through prayers from others, God’s blessings, support of family, friends, legal professionals, law office staff, my executive assistant, Leatrice Chappell, and the community at large. There is still much work to do to help “balance the scales of justice.” I recently became a member of the Colleyville Lions Club, volunteering to share my God-given talents.
Through the years of my practice, I have represented celebrities, the homeless, mentally troubled, but always kept grounded with the basic principles of self-respect, respect of others, and maintained my integrity. People know me from wearing a genuine smile, and colorful apparel with flowers to accessorize my outfits. Hope my story inspires and motivates as it uplifts. Hope you think that my story is one to share with others. Thank you for the opportunity. Bobbie
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
It has not been a smooth road. Nothing is easy worth pursuing. I have encountered racial barriers, ridicule, gender bias, hometown rule, and racial profiling in various situations. Here are a few examples –
- Being blatantly ignored because of gender/race for a legitimate position on the law.
- Being referred to as a “little girl or gal”… from the bench in open court.
- When a prosecutor proposes bias recommendations on cases.
- When ignored or racially profiled in a store or business.
- Being pulled over by the police in daylight for allegedly speeding when the cruise control is set on the speed limit traveling through an exclusive area.
Race matters, but we can be successful, despite the obstacles. God is always with me.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about the Law Office of Bobbie Edmonds?
I started my business over 20 years ago. It has not been a smooth road. Nothing is easy if it is worth pursuing. I’ve encountered racial barriers, threats and ridicule. Having a male child, Derrick, and shuffling mom’s duties with the professional career was the ultimate challenge. But, my son would be was excited to hang with me, and meet new people. Sometimes, he obligated to me to speaking engagements for his classmates, without my consent! Figure that! Our office accepts cases that involve family law, civil law, criminal law, education law, and probate. I am compassionate about the concerns of people. Sometimes, the help is less appreciated, but I perform from the heart, and understand the personality of people in general. Yours truly is courageous, resilient and persistent.
I gain notoriety representing the widow of Donald Thomas, a Black man, who was killed by three teenaged skinheads in Arlington, Texas because he was race mixing – enjoying beer after a long day at work sitting on a flatbed of his White friend’s truck. I was threatened, harassed by phone and in person. It was a frightening experience, but God was our pilot. We survived. This case was the first Texas case to propel hate crimes to the forefront in the media. Mrs. Thomas and I were invited by Texas Governor Ann Richards to the Texas Capitol to participate in the signing ceremony for Texas’ first Hate Crime Law in the early 1990s. So grateful for the tenacity to guide my client through a horrific phase of life.
Still proud that I took on the challenged to file first consumer product class action lawsuit in the United States for African Americans who used the Rio Hair products, which promised to make their hair straight, light, and bouncy. Well, the product was defective and caused hair loss, permanent scalp damage, and in many instances, no hair was left on the scalp to bounce. Notably, at the settlement conference in the United States District Court in Southern Michigan, African Americans travelled near and far thinking that they would be getting settlement checks; but none were available at that phase of the class action litigation. The Federal Judge and the all-male defense team feared that the crowd would become unruly. They looked to me for a rational plan to diffuse the emotions of the crowd. The Judge allowed me to take control of the federal courtroom to explained the plan to reduce the tension and anxiety of the audience. It was a proud moment to reign over a federal courtroom with the blessings of the federal judge, to calm an intense situation of the hostile injured consumers. The federal judge had the fortitude to granted me the authority to mediate a tense situation in his courtroom.
What sets me apart from others is that I am unintimidating with a nice demeanor, but is a force to beacon. I do not use profanity; I adhere to the Texas Lawyer’s Creed, and my word is my bond. I remain grounded, and you can see me in the neighborhood chatting with senior citizens, playing/talking with youths, or taking five of my nieces and nephews on a simple educational tour around the metroplex. My choice of accessories are pearls, turquoise, and flowers for casual and formal apparel. I am also known for empowering youths.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you.
Sometimes luck is on my side; but really God paves the way. I just smile, look above and simply say, “Thank you.”
Contact Info:
- Website: www.goodverdict.com
- Facebook: Bobbie Edmonds
- Photography: elenacone photopgraphy
- 360 Media4U
Image Credits
ECole Photography
360 Media
