Driven by Curiosity: How Police Chief Barron Dickson Found a New Perspective on Justice at Bowen Law
Most evenings, Barron Dickson has about five minutes.
Five minutes to catch up with his wife, April, and their daughter, Jansen, before heading to Little Rock for class at the 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law. By the time he returns home, it is often close to 10 p.m. After spending a little more time with Jansen before bed, he studies until midnight before starting the process again the next day.
For nearly three years, Dickson has balanced the demands of law school with the responsibilities of serving as chief of the Beebe Police Department and being present for his wife and daughter. His days are spent leading the department, while evenings and weekends are devoted to classes, studying and family, though he is always on call.
Years before he enrolled at Bowen, Dickson found himself drawn to a place most people were eager to leave: the courtroom.
As a young law enforcement officer, he regularly found himself observing proceedings in district court, where cases often involving misdemeanor offenses, such as theft and driving while intoxicated, move through the justice system. While others were eager to return to their duties once court concluded, Dickson often lingered. He was fascinated by the arguments presented by opposing attorneys and the outcome of each case. He even volunteered to transport inmates when opportunities arose, partly because it gave him another chance to watch the process unfold.
There, he met District Judge Mark Derrick.
While many people focused on the verdict, Dickson was more interested in understanding how judges arrived at their decisions. After hearings ended, he often stayed behind to ask questions. Why was one defendant found guilty while another was not? What evidence mattered most? How did judges weigh competing arguments? Derrick took the time to answer those questions, explaining the legal reasoning behind his rulings and helping Dickson understand the elements of criminal offenses in ways he had never encountered during police training.
The conversations became a regular part of Dickson’s experience in court and left a lasting impression. “My interest in law is so strong because I’ve seen the process from all sides,” Dickson said. “In the jail, on patrol and in the courtroom.”
Eventually, Derrick offered a suggestion that would alter the course of Dickson’s career. “You need to go to law school.”
At first, the path forward was not as simple as submitting an application. Dickson had not yet completed his bachelor’s degree. But the questions that first drew him to the courtroom stayed with him, and so did Derrick’s advice. He returned to school, earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Williams Baptist University and began preparing for the next step.
When the time came to choose a law school, Dickson again turned to the mentor who had first encouraged him to pursue legal education. Derrick recommended Bowen Law, pointing to its location in the state’s capital and the opportunities that came with studying law in the center of Arkansas’s legal and governmental community.
He had spent years building a career in law enforcement while continuing to think about the questions that first surfaced in district court. Leaving the workforce to attend law school full time was never a realistic option, but Bowen Law’s part-time program offered a path that allowed him to continue serving his community while pursuing a legal education.
He applied only to Bowen.
The curiosity that first drew him to the courtroom had finally led him into the classroom. Law school provided many of the answers Dickson had been seeking, but it also revealed just how much there still was to learn.
In the classroom, he gained a deeper understanding of statutes, case law and the legal reasoning that shapes decisions throughout the justice system. Concepts that once seemed straightforward became more nuanced as he studied constitutional law, criminal procedure and evidence. The experience gave him a broader perspective on issues he had encountered throughout his career and a greater appreciation for the responsibilities carried by judges, attorneys and law enforcement officers alike.
For Dickson, some of the most meaningful lessons have come from seeing the justice system through perspectives other than his own. As a police officer, he had spent years focused on investigations, enforcement and public safety. Law school challenged him to consider the legal and human dimensions of those same situations, encouraging him to think more deeply about accountability, fairness and the long-term impact legal decisions can have on individuals and communities.
That broader perspective also reinforced something Dickson had witnessed firsthand in White County. During his years working alongside Judge Mark Derrick, he saw how the judge sometimes gave nonviolent offenders who wanted to change the opportunity to participate in the 100 Families program rather than serve jail time. If participants completed the program, Derrick would reduce their fines and suspend their jail sentences. The program connects participants with resources such as housing, employment and treatment, creating opportunities to rebuild their lives while remaining accountable for their actions.
“I’ve seen more people change their lives and end that cycle over the past four years than I have in my entire career,” Dickson said.
The experience strengthened his belief that justice is not always defined by a single outcome. Sometimes it means accountability. Sometimes it means intervention. Often, it requires balancing both.
Pursuing a law degree while working full time has required commitment from Dickson. It has also required support from the people around him. He is quick to credit his wife with helping make law school possible. Over the past three years, she has taken on additional responsibilities at home while encouraging him to continue pursuing a goal that demands much of his time and attention.
“There are a lot of people who sacrifice for me to be able to do this,” Dickson said. April never complains, he said, and goes out of her way to send him videos from Jansen鈥檚 events and ball games. Jansen, who just started second grade, has become one of his biggest supporters. During exams, she often FaceTimes him before a test to wish him luck, a small but meaningful gesture.
The support extends beyond his family. At Bowen, Dickson found classmates who understood the unique challenges of balancing careers, families and legal education. Among them is fellow student Sean Coker, with whom he frequently carpools to class and studies with on weekends. For Dickson, those relationships have become one of the unexpected benefits of law school. While legal education began as a pursuit of knowledge, it also introduced him to a community of people committed to helping one another learn.
If there is one part of his law school experience that has surprised Dickson, it is his academic success. When he enrolled at Bowen, his goal was straightforward: learn the material, work hard and earn his degree. He was not focused on class rankings or academic recognition.
“My purpose of studying wasn’t to get top paper or be a top student,” Dickson said. “It was to pass law school.”
Dickson immersed himself in the material, spending hours reading cases, preparing for class and working through legal concepts that interested him. Over time, that effort translated into results.
Since beginning law school, he has earned 11 top paper honors in a wide range of courses, including Contracts, Torts, Legal Writing and Analysis, Constitutional Law, Real Property I and II, Civil Procedure I and II, Evidence, Federal Income Taxation, and Criminal Procedure: Pretrial Process.
The recognition is especially meaningful to Dickson because it contrasts sharply with how he viewed himself as a student earlier in life. “If I can do it, anyone can do it,” he said. “I wasn’t the best at undergrad.鈥� Regarding law school, he added, 鈥淚’ve worked harder at it than I’ve ever worked in my life.”
For Dickson, the awards are not the most important part of the story. They are simply the result of a goal that began with curiosity and was sustained through hard work.
As Dickson looks toward his anticipated graduation this December, he is still considering what role the law may play in the next chapter of his career, though public service remains at the center of his plans. Whether in law enforcement, legal practice or another area of the justice system, he hopes to continue building on the work that has defined much of his professional life.
Law school has also shown him that pursuing a legal education can be more attainable than many people realize. Thanks in part to a 75% merit scholarship, the ability to continue working while attending classes in the evening and careful planning with his family, Dickson hopes to graduate with little or no student debt.
For someone who once volunteered to transport inmates so he could spend more time observing court proceedings, the journey has come full circle. The curiosity that first drew him to the courtroom ultimately led him back to the classroom, opening doors he never expected and deepening his understanding of a system he has spent years serving.
Today, the questions have not disappeared. If anything, they continue to shape the way Dickson thinks about justice, public service and the people whose lives intersect with the legal system every day. The difference is that he now approaches those questions with a deeper understanding of the law and an even greater appreciation for the responsibility that comes with serving others.