# Robert T. Dawson

Robert Toombs Dawson (born 1938) is an American jurist who served as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Arkansas from 1998 until assuming senior status (semi-retired judge with reduced caseload) on August 14, 2009, and retired from the federal bench at the end of 2015.<sup>[1](https://judicialfinder.com/judges/robert-dawson)</sup> Appointed by President Bill Clinton, he was confirmed by voice vote in 1998 and served as a judge on the court before taking senior status on August 14, 2009.<sup>[2](https://clintonwhitehouse6.archives.gov/1997/11/1997-11-07-dawson-named-district-court-judge-for-west-arkansas.html)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[1](https://judicialfinder.com/judges/robert-dawson)</sup>

| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Court | U.S. District Court for the Western District of Arkansas<sup>[1](https://judicialfinder.com/judges/robert-dawson)</sup> |
| Appointed by | William J. Clinton<sup>[2](https://clintonwhitehouse6.archives.gov/1997/11/1997-11-07-dawson-named-district-court-judge-for-west-arkansas.html)</sup> |
| Confirmed | April 2, 1998, by voice vote<sup>[1](https://judicialfinder.com/judges/robert-dawson)</sup> |
| Senior status | August 14, 2009<sup>[1](https://judicialfinder.com/judges/robert-dawson)</sup> |
| Born | 1938, El Dorado, Arkansas<sup>[1](https://judicialfinder.com/judges/robert-dawson)</sup> |
| Education | B.A., University of Arkansas, 1960; LL.B., University of Arkansas School of Law, 1965<sup>[1](https://judicialfinder.com/judges/robert-dawson)</sup> |

## Early life and education

Dawson was born in 1938 in [El Dorado](https://www.edgepedia.org/el-dorado), Arkansas.<sup>[1](https://judicialfinder.com/judges/robert-dawson)</sup> He received his B.A. degree from the [University of Arkansas](https://www.edgepedia.org/university-of-arkansas) in 1960 and his LL.B. degree from the University of Arkansas School of Law in 1965.<sup>[2](https://clintonwhitehouse6.archives.gov/1997/11/1997-11-07-dawson-named-district-court-judge-for-west-arkansas.html)</sup>

## Legal career

Dawson served in the [United States Army](https://www.edgepedia.org/united-states-army) from 1961 to 1962 and in the Arkansas National Guard from 1962 to 1965.<sup>[2](https://clintonwhitehouse6.archives.gov/1997/11/1997-11-07-dawson-named-district-court-judge-for-west-arkansas.html)</sup> After completing his military service, he entered private practice in [Fort Smith, Arkansas](https://www.edgepedia.org/fort-smith-arkansas), in 1965, where he worked as an associate and later a partner with the Hardin Law Firm, later known as Hardin, Dawson & ... .<sup>[2](https://clintonwhitehouse6.archives.gov/1997/11/1997-11-07-dawson-named-district-court-judge-for-west-arkansas.html)</sup> He remained in private practice until his appointment to the federal bench in 1998.<sup>[1](https://judicialfinder.com/judges/robert-dawson)</sup>

## Federal judicial service

President [Bill Clinton](https://www.edgepedia.org/bill-clinton) nominated Dawson on November 7, 1997, to a judgeship on the United States District Court for the Western District of Arkansas.<sup>[2](https://clintonwhitehouse6.archives.gov/1997/11/1997-11-07-dawson-named-district-court-judge-for-west-arkansas.html)</sup> The Senate confirmed him by voice vote on April 2, 1998, and he received his commission on April 7, 1998.<sup>[1](https://judicialfinder.com/judges/robert-dawson)</sup> He served as a district judge until August 14, 2009, when he assumed senior status.<sup>[1](https://judicialfinder.com/judges/robert-dawson)</sup>

## Notable cases

According to a count of published opinions in the CourtListener corpus, Dawson authored 71 published opinions for the district court between 1998 and 2011.<sup>[1](https://judicialfinder.com/judges/robert-dawson)</sup> His most-cited opinion in that corpus was *Freeman v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.*.<sup>[1](https://judicialfinder.com/judges/robert-dawson)</sup>

## References

1. [Robert Toombs Dawson - JudicialFinder](https://judicialfinder.com/judges/robert-dawson)
2. [President Clinton Nominates Robert Dawson](https://clintonwhitehouse6.archives.gov/1997/11/1997-11-07-dawson-named-district-court-judge-for-west-arkansas.html)

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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Society and history › Law and justice › Courts and legal practice › Legal biographies › United States judges › US federal judges › Article III judges (district and appellate) › United States district court judges › Surnames D to E*

*Initially written Sep 27, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 29, 2026 · Edited: Sep 29, 2026 · Last review: Sep 29, 2026*

*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*

License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license