Law Day 2007 theme encourages education

Technically, Law Day was May 1, but for the Springfield Metropolitan Bar Association, it was a weeklong observance April 30–May 4.

This year’s theme was Liberty Under Law: Empowering Youth, Assuring Democracy.

“The themes vary from year to year but the message is still the same,” said Ron Baird, president of The Missouri Bar and a partner with Springfield law firm Baird, Lightner, Millsap & Harpool PC.

Baird was slated to be the keynote speaker at the May 2 Law Day Luncheon at Hickory Hills Country Club.

Having a local attorney as president of The Missouri Bar – and as keynote speaker for Law Day – is significant, said SMBA Executive Director Crista Hogan.

“The Missouri Bar has 28,000 members,” Hogan said. “Every licensed attorney in the state of Missouri is required to be a member of The Missouri Bar. The last time we had a local lawyer as president of The Missouri Bar was 50 years ago. We’re very excited that one of our own is the president.”

The Missouri Bar is slated to have its annual meeting Sept. 26–28 in Springfield, according to spokesman Jack Wax.

Baird, who made civic education his presidential initiative when he took the position as president, said understanding the legal system is the only way to preserve it.

“Our country is a democracy that has survived for all of these years,” Baird said. “It is a fragile thing and we’ve got to understand it. Hopefully this day focuses on our rule of law and how we can have differences of opinion and we still abide by the same law.”

Other events slated for the local Law Day observance included a 5k run, and several awards, including those for an essay contest, were to be presented at the luncheon (see box below).

SMBA’s Hogan is familiar with the essay contest, having won it when she was in high school.

“I decided I wanted to be a lawyer when I was 9,” Hogan said. “When you are a little kid and you say you want to be a lawyer, everybody just kind of rolls their eyes. This was kind of the first affirmation that maybe I was on the right track. I went to the lunch with my dad and it was really, really exciting.”

Though some of the awards recognize attorneys, judges and laypeople who have most contributed to the legal profession in the Ozarks, the essay and poster contests are for children.

The Teen Court Advocate Award and a law school scholarship also recognize young people who may someday become part of the legal community.

“That’s the neat thing,” Hogan said. “A lot of our scholarship recipients are showing up in our firms. The people who win these awards are usually pretty active in our association. When this job as director of the Bar Association came up, I had really fond memories of the organization.”

Civic involvement

Through her work, Hogan is charged with making SMBA useful for its members.

“The challenge of a voluntary bar is relevance,” Hogan said. “The reasons for joining are pretty varied. I feel like our bar association is the perfect size. The Kansas City and St. Louis bar association have 6,000 to 7,000 members.

“We have right around 800. It is large enough that we can offer some good programming and benefits to our members, but it is not so large that we just lose track.”

SMBA President Steve Garner said businesses probably have a greater interest in maintaining a strong legal justice system than the public at large. Contracts, property rights and trademark laws are only as strong as the system that enforces them.

It is one of many examples of why Baird has encouraged strong civic education.

“That’s one of the things that would probably help everybody,” Baird said. “If you have knowledge and understanding, then that empowers you to weigh in on the various issues that come along.”

SMBA Distinguished Attorney – Glenn Burkart. This award recognizes an SMBA member in good standing who has exhibited high standards in the practice of law for at least 20 years. Recipients must be actively involved in service to the legal and nonlegal communities and exhibit exemplary ethical standards in the practice of law.

SMBA Judicial Excellence Award – Judge Don Burrell Jr. This award, debuting this year, recognizes an individual who is in good standing with the SMBA, The Missouri Bar and any other state or federal courts in which he or she is licensed, and who has exhibited high standards on the bench for at least five years. The recipient also must actively be involved in service to both the legal and nonlegal communities and be an active and supportive member of the SMBA.

Liberty Bell Award – Kenneth Rutherford. This award recognizes a nonlawyer whose service strengthens the effectiveness of the American system of freedom under the law and encourages respect for the American legal system. Several types of service are recognized, including the promotion of a better understanding of the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights and stimulating a deeper sense of individual responsibility so that citizens recognize their duties as well as their rights.

Equal Access to Justice Award – Nick Venute. This award recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to the mission of Legal Services of Southern Missouri, through both the volunteer lawyers project and Judicare.

SMBA Law School Scholarship – Brooke Robertson. This award is designed to help and encourage students to practice law in the communities served by the SMBA. Recipients must be entering the second or third year of law school. Determining factors include ties to southwest Missouri and a desire to reside in the region.

Other honorees:

SMBA Teen Court Advocate Award – Grace Prewitt

Essay Contest – Katy Auner, first place; Alex Visio, second place; Aaron Dennis, third place.

Poster Contest – Maggie Witt, first place; Summer Bliss, second place; Madison Wente, third place.

Source: Springfield Metropolitan Bar Association