Recalls, rulings, MDL activity and bar news from official publishers and legal outlets. Every headline is the publisher’s own and links to it; every tag shows the words that earned it.
Order dated Aug. 25, 2026 Adult Abuse Protection Forms Effective date: Aug. 25, 2026 Order Order (PDF) Ex Parte Order of Protection – Adult Judgment of the Full Order of Protection – Adult QuickRead versions are color coded: deletions in red; additions in blue. They are prepared for Missouri lawyers to highlight text changes in Orders. If there is any variation between the QuickRead version and the Order, the Order controls. Some orders will not have QuickRead versions.
In honor of her dedication to helping her community, Danielle R. Drake will receive this year’s Missouri Bar Young Lawyers’ Section Tom Cochran Community Service Award. The Tom Cochran Community Service Award recognizes a member of The Missouri Bar whose service and professionalism have enhanced their community. The award is named after Thomas D. Cochran, whose commitment and contributions to the practice of law and his community inspired generations of lawyers. Drake is a partner at Parks & Drake, Attorneys at the Lake, where she represents clients throughout Mid-Missouri in family law, real…
The Missouri Bar Board of Governors is accepting applications to fill a board vacancy in the Western Appellate District for the 2026-27 bar year. The Missouri Bar must receive letters of application by Monday, Sept. 7, 2026. Who Is eligible to apply? Any person who is in good standing and enrolled to vote in the Western Appellate District may apply. A lawyer must be employed or maintain their principal law office full-time in the Western Appellate District to be eligible to apply for the board vacancy. The Western Appellate District includes Adair, Andrew, Atchison, Bates, Benton, Boone…
Springfield | National Springfield Spencer Fane LLP is pleased to welcome Tina Fowler to the firm’s Springfield, Missouri, office as a partner in the Labor and Employment Practice Group. Fowler helps employers navigate workplace challenges and manage employment-related risk, providing proactive representation in employment disputes and robust defense in discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination, and other workplace claims before the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and state and federal courts, including appellate courts. A diligent counselor, Fowler advises on…
Sarah Phillips, with the Missouri State Public Defender, will receive this year’s Liberty Bell Award, presented by The Missouri Bar Young Lawyers’ Section. The Liberty Bell Award acknowledges a non-lawyer or non-legal organization engaged in public service activities that enhance the legal community or are dedicated to the advancement of justice. Phillips is a manager for Holistic Defense Services with the MSPD, where she oversees a group of advocates placed in MSPD offices throughout the eastern part of the state. The HDS team works alongside lawyers to help clients through resource…
The lawyers of Missouri, voting in districts throughout the state , elected several members to The Missouri Bar Board of Governors and Young Lawyers’ Section Council. The newly elected and retained Board of Governors members and YLS Council members will take office at the conclusion of the 2026 Annual Meeting of The Missouri Bar, which takes place Sept. 16-18 in Kansas City. Board of Governors Five members were newly elected to the 45-member Board of Governors of The Missouri Bar and 15 incumbents were retained for new terms. Members of the Board of Governors are elected to serve two-year…
Kansas City | Other Kansas City National law firm Armstrong Teasdale announces the addition of Litigation Associate Samuel A. Pomeroy in the firm’s Kansas City office. He handles all phases of litigation, from drafting pleadings to appearing at trial, negotiating settlements, and managing appeals. Pomeroy has counseled employers and employees on restrictive covenant issues and claims under the Missouri Human Rights Act. As part of his practice counseling employers, he regularly drafts and reviews employment agreements such as noncompete/nonsolicitation agreements for employers. In addition…
Scott E. Vincent is the founding member of Vincent Law, LLC in Kansas City. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit recently affirmed a 41-month prison sentence imposed on a dentist convicted of tax evasion. In U.S. v. Ulibarri, 1 the court rejected the dentist’s arguments that the sentence was not reasonable due to his reliance on a tax scheme promoter’s alternative tax mitigation strategy and business trust structure to eliminate federal taxes. Ulibarri serves as a reminder to lawyers that the IRS pursues clients of tax scheme promoters, particularly when they significantly and…
Hon. Martina Peterson will receive this year’s Missouri Bar Diversity Champion Award for her dedication to inclusion and gains toward increasing the retention, advancement, and promotion of diversity in the legal profession.
Genna Tlustos is the assistant editor of the Journal of The Missouri Bar. Living in a rural area has many benefits — avoiding traffic, the lower cost of living, having a close-knit community, and seeing the direct impacts of your work. But in Missouri, one major drawback may be finding access to legal services. And for the lawyers working in rural areas, the pressure to fill those gaps can be demanding and challenging. Assessing rural practice in Missouri The Missouri Bar’s Special Committee on Rural Practice is researching the state of rural practice in Missouri, including examining barriers…
Uncertainty is no stranger to the legal community. Whether waiting for employment offers, discovery, opposing counsel to respond, or a verdict, for many lawyers, uncertainty can create a heightened sense of anxiety and distress, which can lead to burnout and professional dissatisfaction (LCMLA 2022). Struggling with uncertainty and the unknown is a common part of human experience. Our brains are wired to protect us, scanning for potential threats and looking for evidence to fit that something could go wrong. When we don’t know what the future holds, our minds naturally try to fill in the…
