Episode 29 | Legacy and Leadership | Aryne Hudson

Join David as he sits down with dynamic Aryne Hudson for a leadership packed conversation.
Aryne Hudson is a litigation attorney in the Mobile, Alabama office of Phelps, where she represents clients in complex tort, commercial, employment, and defamation matters. Her practice is grounded in thoughtful advocacy, strategic problem-solving, and a commitment to serving clients with both precision and integrity.

Beyond her legal practice, Aryne is deeply engaged in leadership and service within her profession and community. In recognition of her impact, she was named to Mobile Bay Magazine’s 40 Under 40, highlighting her professional achievements and contributions to the Mobile community. She also serves as an officer of the Vernon Z. Crawford Bar Association and as an executive board member for the Community Foundation of South Alabama, where she helps support initiatives focused on professional development, civic engagement, and expanding access to opportunity.

A native of Mobile, Aryne’s path into the legal profession was shaped early by curiosity, discipline, and a strong foundation of values instilled by her family. She earned her law degree from the University of Alabama School of Law, where she competed on the Trial Advocacy Team in national competitions, an experience that sharpened her ability to think critically, communicate effectively, and lead under pressure.

Beyond her work in the courtroom, Aryne approaches leadership not as a title, but as a daily practice. Whether mentoring, collaborating, or advocating, she is driven by a belief that the most meaningful legacy is built through consistent actions, strong relationships, and a willingness to create opportunities for others.

0:34 Intro
1:43 Early years as a Mobile native 
2:56 College years 
5:12 Extracurricular opportunities 
7:06 Leadership Impact your life
8:48 Growing leadership roles
10:55 Time in college 
13:13 Relationships that helped on your journey
14:40 Pushing thru adversity
15:38 From college to law school
16:55 Pushing thru law school
18:08 Family support

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:00

Welcome to Legacy and Leadership. I'm David McKean. Join me as we talk to leaders in their field regarding their thoughts on leaving a legacy and impact in their families and in their community. Welcome to Legacy and Leadership. I'm David McKean and I am thrilled to have Erin Hudson here today, who is going to join us and give her thoughts on leadership in the community. Erin is a litigation attorney here in Mobile for Phelps, Dunbar, where she represents clients in complex tort, commercial, employment, and defamation matters. Beyond her legal practice, Erin is deeply engaged in leadership and service within her profession and community. In recognition of her impact, she was named to Mobile Bay Magazine's 40 under 40. Congratulations on that. Erin is a native of Mobile, and her path into the legal profession was shaped early by curiosity, discipline, and a strong foundation of values instilled by her family. That's fantastic. I can't wait to hear more about that. She earned her law degree from the University of Alabama School of Law, where she competed on a trial advocacy team and uh in national competitions there. Uh beyond her work in the courtroom, Erin approaches leadership not as a title, but as a daily practice. And we're really going to dive into that, whether mentoring, collaborating, or advocating. So uh thank you so much for joining us, Erin. We're very happy to have you a part of our podcast today.

SPEAKER_01 1:37

Thank you for having me. I'm looking forward to it.

SPEAKER_02 1:39

Fantastic. So I'd love to just start a little from the beginning. Um, you know, your your bio says that that you're a native of Mobile. Yes. Uh what was it like for you growing up in Mobile?

SPEAKER_01 1:49

Um, probably the same that any native Mobilian would say. Uh Seafood, Mardi Gras. Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_00 1:57

Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_01 1:58

But um, you know, my I am from Mobile, but my parents are not.

SPEAKER_00 2:02

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 2:02

And so my parents, fortunately, when they moved here or transplanted here, they immediately created a community um among themselves that I was able to benefit from heavily. And so though I don't have aunts and uncles here, I certainly have um parents' friends that kind of filled that role for me. And um, I enjoy my have childhood friends. I went to Davidson High School, um, went to Phillips Middle School. And so um just I had a really um good childhood in the fact that I had friends that I still keep up with today. I have uh transplant family that I still can call on today, and um obviously I loved it enough to come back.

SPEAKER_02 2:47

So yeah, okay, fantastic. Well, good. So where did where did you attend college after Davidson?

SPEAKER_01 2:53

I went to the University of Montevalo. Okay, which I know some people don't always know where that is, but um it's uh northern Alabama, and uh then I went on to Alabama for law school.

SPEAKER_02 3:05

Okay, fantastic. What what drove you into law?

SPEAKER_01 3:08

Um, so I I I always tell this story when I'm asked. Um, to be quite honest, I always knew I wanted to be an attorney. Really? I did. Um my dad was a big uh law and order watcher. Okay, okay. I I rationalized at a very young age that it was too dangerous to be a detective. So the next best thing would be an attorney.

SPEAKER_00 3:30

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 3:30

And um I kind of just told myself that very early on, and there was no going back from there. Okay. So that was always the plan. And I've been fortunate enough and blessed enough to have made that come into fruition.

SPEAKER_02 3:43

That's fantastic. So, how did you pick what area of the law you wanted to specialize in and work in?

SPEAKER_01 3:48

You know, I I think it kind of picks you. Um, and to be quite honest, I'm still as a young associate, I'm still figuring out what my niche is, what my interests are as far as what my practice will look like as it continues to develop. But um, I was adamant that I did not want to be a litigator, actually. Uh I thought I was really bad at presenting and talking to people, got really get really nervous. And um, despite my uh proclamation, I kept getting pushed to do trial advocacy team, to um participate in uh speaking engagements, and I just keep getting pushed into this litigator role. And it's not so bad. So um, but to answer your question, I it's still a work in progress.

SPEAKER_00 4:34

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 4:34

Um, but I I uh enjoy the general the generalization of my practice right now because it allows me to learn as a lot as as much as I can as a young associate.

SPEAKER_02 4:46

That's it's funny how things like that turn out. I don't know about you, but uh when I say I'm never going to, um, I almost feel like God is up there laughing at me because uh then I end up doing exactly what you just alluded to.

SPEAKER_01 5:02

Uh we plan and God laughs.

SPEAKER_02 5:04

That's exactly right. That's exactly right. So, well, that's fantastic. So did you growing up, did you particularly uh participate in any extracurricular activities outside of school?

SPEAKER_01 5:16

Um I did. My parents, um, especially my dad, are are really vague in getting involved in the community. And so that was instilled in me early on. Um I was a participant, my mother was a member of a Jack and Jill, the Mobile Chapter. So through that organization, I had the opportunity to do a lot of different volunteering, uh community service activities. Um and then what else? I I think I was I was because of my parents' role in the community and their um appreciation for community impact. I was placed in spaces where like this is what you're needing to do, as far as like, you know, serving the community, um becoming a meaningful member of the community. I think I participated in Youth Leadership Mobile way back when it was forever ago. Uh and so just these types of organizations that helped uh put me in spaces with other peers, other students that I didn't necessarily go to school with, um, but were like-minded and um really just valued community involvement and impact.

SPEAKER_02 6:23

What was that like for you? Was it natural? Was it something that you were afraid of at first or or I don't know that I would say it was natural.

SPEAKER_01 6:32

Um I was not afraid of it. I think it was an expectation for me, being my parents who they were. Um there was just no, I don't I don't think I knew anything different.

SPEAKER_00 6:43

Right.

SPEAKER_01 6:43

Um no, I wasn't I was not fearful of those spaces. Um I was fortunate enough to just have been put in those spaces early on that they became my natural habitat, I guess you would say.

SPEAKER_02 6:57

That's great. That's great. When do you feel that that leadership first began to shape and impact your life personally as a child or teenager growing up?

SPEAKER_01 7:07

Um definitely as a child, you know, I think about um again, the people in my life who were impactful and and who were mentors and um helped me get to where I am today and continue to help me today. Um definitely, you know, in my church, I was encouraged um over and over again to, you know, step up and and um speak out to the congregation. Um I was encouraged early on to not be fearful of um having a voice and um believing that I had something to say um and having the tools to say it. And so I I don't know that I knew I was being formed into the leader, little, little leader that um maybe some people would say I am today. It's funny, I I don't necessarily know that I would consider myself a leader. I'm still very much, you know, a follower and learning, you know, um what I am still capable of. And um, so it's just funny that, you know, that's that's why we're here.

SPEAKER_02 8:11

Yeah, absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 8:13

But anyway, uh very early on, I think I was given a an a lot of confidence was instilled into me to put myself out there and um you know just see I had something to say. And if you had something to say, you know, how had the tools to say it.

SPEAKER_02 8:28

Yeah. So so how how did that in individual or group do that? Was it something that they they saw qualities in you and called you higher, or were they just get out there and do this? Or what what was the method to to that leader encouraging you and and pushing you in that environment?

SPEAKER_01 8:47

I'd say, like in um church, for example, uh we have youth days where um youth and young adults are given the opportunity to lead the service, lead the congregation for that day. And um I I'd say that those days and those were opportunities created um to push the youth and young the children forward.

SPEAKER_00 9:11

Right.

SPEAKER_01 9:11

Um and so on certain occasions like that, you know, you were you were encouraged to say the scripture or say the prayer for that day or even give the sermon for that day. And so uh as I got older, I maybe gave the prayer one year, and then uh maybe you know sang a song another year, and then eventually I remember as a high school student um being asked to give the word for the the day, and I was so nervous. Um, because again, you you think, especially as a child, as a teenager, what do I have to say? Um, teenager who's still, you know, walking in faith, learning to walk in faith and um understanding, you know, still cultivating their relationship with God. Um that was a scary moment, but I persevered and I was encouraged to do it and received good feedback. And so the next time I was called to speak in front of a crowd about something that I was passionate about, it was a little less scary.

SPEAKER_02 10:12

Yeah, right. But as a teenager, you're the first time you were probably shaking like a leaf on a tree.

SPEAKER_01 10:18

Absolutely. And to this day, uh depending on how comfortable I am with the topic, I'm still shaking like a leaf.

SPEAKER_02 10:25

That is so funny, Erin, because I had a very, very similar experience in in my youth growing up. Our church had Youth Sunday, and uh I was encouraged a couple of times to to share a message, and um it was very transformational. So it's great to hear that that you had a similar, similar uh experience.

SPEAKER_00 10:46

Yeah, yeah. Yes, I think it's a good idea. So that's wonderful.

SPEAKER_02 10:49

So so talk about talk about your time in college and and you know, how were you pushed, how were you shaped during your time there?

SPEAKER_01 10:57

Um let's see. I went to a smaller university, a liberal arts university, and um really appreciated the opportunity to have relationships, closer relationships with my professors, with my um graduate, my advisors. And so I think in that space I was still able to flourish just because I was comfortable with you know the leadership and and um those who were teaching and you know, helping us expand our whatever our career paths were. And so um I think once again, I went to school there and um got to know my advisors and was encouraged to take on student government. Um, was encouraged to participate in different organizations or clubs through my advisor, through um uh the student director. And so because of the intimacy of the community there at Montevallo, kind of the same thing. I was again comfortable enough and confident enough to get in, get involved. And um that was a really I know that that's not necessarily an experience all students have going to different and larger universities. So that's something I really value. And anytime anybody asks me what was the best thing about about going to school, it was the fact that Montevallo is such a tight-knit community and still is.

SPEAKER_00 12:23

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 12:23

Um, and so I will wave their banner all the time because I I really influenced um still how I continue to operate today, but then also uh helped me feel comfortable and confident in pursuing my my uh educational path.

SPEAKER_02 12:43

It's it's interesting as as you've talked about your your experiences as a teenager and and also in your early 20s at in college, the theme that I hear running through you growing and leaders calling you up is really boils down to one word, and that's relationship.

SPEAKER_01 13:00

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 13:02

With your relationship with your advisor, with your relationship with your professor, with your relationship with people in your church, they were able to push you and encourage you. Can you maybe speak to that a little bit?

SPEAKER_01 13:13

And well, yes, I I think you kind of hit the nail right on the head. Um, I don't think I would have even known about half of the opportunities that I was able to benefit from, but for those relationships. And so having people who were in a leadership position already or um impactful in our community able to reach back and um instill confidence in me, it was just it was really important and something that I guess as a young adult now, something that I try and instill and practice um daily, I think it's really valuable and I recognize the value in it because I was a I benefited from it so much. Um so yeah, I I I think you're absolutely right that relationships that I had along the way that I continue to maintain um are super valuable and necessary for you know cultivating uh young leaders and the legacy that those lead the leaders before me want to leave behind.

SPEAKER_02 14:14

Yeah. Relationships are crucial, yet at times they can be difficult. Can you maybe talk about um none of us are perfect, right? And and sometimes people let you down or relationships can be hard. Can you maybe talk about that and and how you've pushed through some of those hard times realizing that that as we just discussed, relationships have been so instrumental in your development as a leader?

SPEAKER_01 14:40

You know, I I don't want to sound um super optimistic and naive, but I really did not experience relationships where I think you said I was let down, people let you down. Um I was I am very blessed and lucky with the people that are in my life who continue to pour into me. Um I can't say that there was ever a relationship that I did not feel um and still feel that I that I benefit from.

SPEAKER_00 15:14

Right.

SPEAKER_01 15:14

Um as far as you know challenges along the way through those relationships, I've been able to work through some of my own challenges. You know, I think about when I was in uh law school, I've always been a high, I was always a high achieving student, I guess you could say, um elementary school, middle school, high school, and then on into even college. And then going from college to law school was such a learning curve and was such a difficult time for me that first semester. Absolutely, it was very difficult. And um, because of the relationship I had with my dean at law in law school, um, I was really, I was encouraged and um she noticed that like I was struggling and she helped me kind of like get my footing back. And I mean, I'm so thankful that I felt comfortable and confident enough to speak with her about the struggles that I was having in adjusting to the different learning style that was necessary to be successful in law school. Um and so I don't know that I really answered your question. I kind of spit I kind of turned it on the head.

SPEAKER_02 16:17

No, you did because because, you know, I mean, you you said you said that relationships really propelled you forward and that you didn't have much difficulty in those. And that's that's okay uh for sure, and and I think it's great, quite frankly. Um you you mentioned from an early age that you knew you wanted to go into law. Other than your relationship with your dean, what kept you moving forward, as you mentioned in that first semester, that first year, when things were incredibly difficult in law school?

SPEAKER_01 16:51

Um you know, I I'm type A. I think a lot of attorneys are. And so the idea of failure was really scary to me. Right. Um, and I think that maybe leaders are there's some humbleness that's involved, and there's uh humility that's involved, there's some um anxiety that's involved with, you know, believing that you belong in the spaces that you're in. And I think there was some part of me that was continuing to try and prove that to myself. I was like, I knew, I, I, I knew, I think I knew, I kind of knew that I was worthy of being in the space of law school and and um being successful. I think I I felt like I knew that. And having difficulty definitely, you know, waved, wavered that for me a little bit. Um, but I had to, or I I think it was important to me still, even though I was struggling so much, it was still important to me. And um, my parents, you know, I was very vocal to them about like, hey, this is scary. And I don't know that I really belong here. And my mom, especially, she is um, she has shaped me in ways I can't really even appropriately say. But she was just like, you know, do you why do you think why do you think you don't believe you don't belong there? Like you belong there.

SPEAKER_00 18:13

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 18:14

Um, so let's have this little pity session, pow wow, and then what are what are the tools that we need to do to move forward? I was also very lucky because my mom um is in higher education. She's faculty over at South Alabama, and so she brought a unique perspective, like I know that there are resources for you.

SPEAKER_00 18:32

Right.

SPEAKER_01 18:32

These you need to go and find them. Um if this is what you want to do. And it that's always been kind of the foundation um for my relationship with my parents. Super supportive. If that's what you want to do, okay.

SPEAKER_02 18:45

Right.

SPEAKER_01 18:45

How are you gonna do it?

SPEAKER_02 18:46

Right.

SPEAKER_01 18:47

Um, that's a real a dynamic of our relationship that we maintain to this day, and uh it's it's it's been beneficial for me. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 18:57

Yeah, and and I wanna and I wanna hone in on that a second because I think it's so important to remind our audience um uh the influence and the role that we as parents hold with our kids. Absolutely especially in the younger years, you get so caught up in the day-to-day. What do they say? The the days are long and the years are short, right? Of of diapers and walking and sleeping and all the basic things. And then but but we as parents are really called to lead our children forward, and that's what you just described with your mother.

SPEAKER_01 19:35

Yes. Um I won the lottery on parents for sure.

SPEAKER_00 19:40

That's great.

SPEAKER_01 19:41

And I hope they'd say the same about me as their daughter.

SPEAKER_00 19:44

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 19:45

But um, you're absolutely right, and I I I I know for a fact, 100%, I would not be in the space, I would not be where I am today without having the parents that I had. Super blessed, super fortunate. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 20:01

That's fantastic. Hey, if you like this episode, please stop right now and share it with the friends so they too can benefit from it. Please join us in a couple of weeks as we drop the second part of this episode. I promise you won't want to miss it.