A Conversation with the Honorable Earnestine Hunt Dorse-
Retired But Her Legacy Lives On … HARRISON D. MCIVER III, Interviewer
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udge Earnestine Hunt Dorse and I met soon after my arrival to assume the leadership of Memphis Area Legal Services. For more than twenty years I have had the pleasure to know and observe her in action. Professionally, we along with then City Prosecutor, the late Teresa Jones, met several times to discuss, how the City’s anti-discrimination ordinance would be implemented. I also observed her in the context of her work as a leader in the National Bar Association Judicial Council. Over the years Judge Dorse, her husband Fred, my wife Lauryce, and I enjoyed showcasing our dancing prowess at various events. She left a positive imprint on this community and beyond. I am proud to call her a friend.
Now, let’s hear from Judge Dorse:
HDM: Judge Dorse, you have had a very long and impressive career, but not many of the readers know very much about you before your legal career began. Please share a little about where you are from, family, educational background, and your career before pursuing the law. Additionally, what makes you the unique person you are, and what are some of the guiding and foundational principles that shaped your life?
studied in five foreign countries: Switzerland; Austria; France; Sweden; and Germany.
Judge Dorse: I am a native Memphian born and raised in Orange Mound, Tennessee. My father, Mr. William Ernest Hunt, after whom I was named, was a construction worker and chauffeur. My mother, Mrs. Jennie Hunt, was a housewife. I am the fourth of six siblings. My older brother and two sisters are deceased. I am married to Fred O. Dorse, a retired businessman, and we have seven children, five grandsons and two greatgrandchildren.
I know my uniqueness comes from my faith in God, my fellow man and myself. I believe in these foundational principles to guide me in my life:
I attended Melrose High School, graduated cum laude from Clark College (now Clark Atlanta University) and from Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law at Memphis State University (now University of Memphis). I also was an exchange student at Dag Hammarskjold College and 16
I taught in the Memphis City School system, served as a research associate at the Memphis Urban League and Memphis State University and later worked as a paralegal while pursuing my legal career. I have been a seamstress since the age of nine and have designed clothes and jewelry since the age of 12.
1. A little will becomes much when you place it in the master’s hand. 2. A quitter never wins, and a winner never quits. 3. The race is not given to the swift or the strong, but the one who endured to the end. 4. Never let anyone define you. HDM: You attended Clark College, an HBCU. What impact did it have on your life and career trajectory? Judge Dorse: I was fortunate to attend Clark College with a very, very strong foundation rooted in education
