Julia L. Busfield
jbusfield@busfieldduggerlaw.com
Julia represents individuals who have been injured as the result of the negligence or misconduct of others or those who have been denied insurance coverage or payments under homeowner, auto or business policies. She and Terry Dugger formed this firm to use the experience they gained in the many years of insurance defense work to help their clients recover to the fullest extent possible. She is involved in all aspects of their personal injury practice, including as an appellate lawyer, having regularly appeared before the state and federal appellate courts with over 50 reported decisions.
Her legal career began over 20 years ago when she entered the University of Arkansas School of Law in Fayetteville, Arkansas, after receiving her bachelor’s degree from Hendrix College in 1986, as a recipient of the William C. Buthman Prize in Political Science. While in law school, she clerked for a prominent personal injury law firm, learning lessons that she continues to rely on in her practice today. After graduating with honors in 1988, Julia served as a law clerk at the Arkansas Court of Appeals for Judge Judith Rogers. She then returned to Fayetteville to earn her Master of Laws degree in Agricultural law, while serving as an instructor of legal writing and appellate advocacy. In June of 1990, Julia became a staff attorney with the United States Department of Agriculture’s Office of the General Counsel, where she adjudicated tort claims and handled high-profile litigation on behalf of the department in Arkansas, Mississippi, and Louisiana. In 1994, she joined the Little Rock law firm of Huckabay, Munson, Rowlett & Tilley, P.A. a law firm which concentrated its practice on representing insurance companies and defending businesses and individuals in civil lawsuits. During the almost ten years with the firm, Julia was involved in all areas of the defense practice, with an emphasis on insurance coverage and appeals. She is licensed to practice law in the state of Arkansas and before the United States District Courts for the Eastern and Western Districts of Arkansas, as well as the 5th and 8th Circuit Courts of Appeal.
In 2004, Julia and Terry left their partnerships with Huckabay, Munson, Rowlett & Moore, P.A., which had a name change two years earlier. They no longer represent insurance companies and instead represent individuals and businesses that have been injured or denied payment. In their practice, Julia and Terry work closely on their cases and are especially pleased to be able to handle all aspects of litigation on behalf of their clients, from negotiating settlements to trying cases and addressing issues on appeal, as a team. They have represented countless individuals injured in automobile accidents or who have been injured by medical providers, business owners or others and have both been personally touched by the wrongful death actions they have undertaken to help grieving family members.
Julia is a member of the Arkansas and American Bar Associations and the Arkansas Trial Lawyers Association. She has authored and presented papers for continuing legal education of other attorneys and has served as a contributing author of the Arkansas Bar Association’s “Handling Appeals in Arkansas,” as well as other publications. She is also a member of the Hendrix College Alumni Board of Governors and gives of her time to her church and community.