The annual awards bestowed by the North Carolina Attorney General recognize service that keeps people “safe, healthy and happy in their communities.” Dudley directs Elon Law’s Emergency Legal Services Program.
Margaret Dudley, director of Elon Law’s Emergency Legal Services Program, received the N.C. Attorney General’s Dogwood Award this month in recognition of her service to North Carolinians in moments of urgent need.
Much of Dudley’s efforts are made on behalf of clients seeking crisis assistance at Family Justice Centers in Guilford County and Alamance County.
During a ceremony Feb. 11, North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson praised Dudley’s leadership of a program that serves “a tremendous number of people in very bad situations, often violent situations.”
“Their lives are made better because Margaret and her team intervene in a way that is empathic and effective,” Jackson said. “They have helped thousands of people in their worst moments.”
Through the Guilford County and Alamance County Family Justice Centers, Dudley oversees legal services that bring attorneys, advocates and community partners together under one roof to support survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and other crises. By providing immediate legal guidance, safety planning and coordinated support, the centers help stabilize families, protect victims and create pathways toward long-term safety and independence.
“I am very grateful that this important work is being recognized by our Attorney General,” Dudley said.
At Elon Law, Dudley is regarded as someone whose service to community is the model of what law students and future attorneys should aspire to.
“Margaret’s leadership embodies what it means to be a lawyer in service to others,” said Dean Zak Kramer. “She brings together legal skill, empathy and a deep commitment to justice, ensuring that survivors receive compassionate, high-quality legal support when they need it most. We are extraordinarily proud of the difference she makes every day.”
Dudley’s career and influence have been widely recognized. She was recently named a Legal Legend of Color by the North Carolina Bar Association, was a recipient of the Distinguished Service Award from the Greensboro Bar Association, and honored as a Legal Icon by North Carolina Lawyer’s Weekly. Colleagues and community partners alike regard her as a tireless advocate whose work has improved — and in many cases saved — thousands of lives.
Dudley excelled in school and eventually attended Howard University for both her undergraduate and law degrees. She would become the third Black woman to practice law in Guilford County and the first Black woman to hold the position of Deputy County Attorney in Guilford County.
Dudley later achieved success as a partner at a private firm in Guilford County before setting out as a solo practitioner in 1994. A longtime educator and mentor to young people, she taught Constitutional Law at N.C. A&T State University for more than two decades before joining the Emergency Legal Services Program as its founding director.
At Elon Law, she prepares students to practice law with skill and empathy.