Josie Mayfield Hudson is using her career to help make a difference in people’s lives and help the community.

The Vicksburg lawyer participates in the Mississippi Volunteer Lawyer Project, a joint effort of the Mississippi Bar Association and the Legal Services Corporation, to provide free legal representation for people who could not otherwise afford an attorney.

She has also served as a court appointed attorney, served as municipal judge pro tem and is Workforce Campaign chairperson for United Way of West Central Mississippi.

A Vicksburg native, Hudson attended Warren Central High School and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in political science from Jackson State University; she received her law degree from Howard University Law School in Washington, D.C. She previously worked for Southwest Mississippi Legal Services in McComb (now the Mississippi Center for Legal Services) and then Byrd and Associates, a law firm in Jackson.

She opened her law office in Vicksburg in December 2001, concentrating on family law, criminal defense and personal injury, and also does wills and estate planning.

“Since I was in the ninth grade, I knew I wanted to be a lawyer,” Hudson said, “Because I knew I loved helping people and I wanted to make a difference in people’s lives.”

She became involved in the Mississippi Volunteer Lawyer Project as a way to help others. The clients served by the program have cases in the areas of uncontested divorce, removal of minority/emancipation, wills, adoption, guardianship, name change, birth certificate correction, child support contempt, child support modification, conservatorship and visitation.

“I enjoy helping the people through the MVLP,” she said, adding the program’s staff “is a good group of people, and the clients are always so grateful.”

She recalled one case where a woman wanted to get a divorce but couldn’t afford a lawyer to represent her.

“It was a bad situation. She really needed help to get out of the environment she was in, and she was so grateful to me for being able to get her out of that situation, and I just felt so much love from her and so much gratitude from her; it’s a great feeling to help people,” Hudson said.

Her work was rewarded in 2015, when the Mississippi Volunteer Lawyer Project gave her the Pro Bono Award for outstanding service to the community and the legal profession.

Another way she gives back is working with United Way.

As Workforce Campaign chair, Hudson oversees fundraising involving large firms, commercial businesses, schools and local government agencies that donate to United Way annually.

“The people at United Way are wonderful to work with and are so dedicated to the community and helping people,” she said. “They partner with 19 partner agencies who depend a great deal on the funds that come from United Way.

“I’ve been with them for years. When Barbara Tolliver was executive director, she contacted me and asked me if I wanted to work with them, and I have loved working with them ever since,” she said. “I love it, because you feel like you’re giving back to the community. You know you’re helping young children, you’re helping the elderly and these agencies.

“Knowing I’m giving back to the community is important to me, because I feel when God blesses you, you should be able to reach out give back to other people. If God blesses you, you should be a blessing to other people.”