My "gratitude attitude" is well known. And I am certainly grateful to BAMSL for this opportunity to highlight the YLD Award of Merit honorees I chose for their service during the 2020-21 bar year.

BAMSL to Celebrate Law Day 2021 with special guest, journalist George Will, at The Four Seasons on Sept. 9. 

Most people, lawyers included, are not thrilled to find a reporter at their doorstep or on the other end of the phone. It might be tempting to say "no comment," or to let the call go to a voicemail you have no intention of returning. But before giving a nosy reporter the brush-off, lawyers should consider the benefits, as well as the risks, of interacting with the media.

Thank you to BAMSL President Bob Tomaso for allowing me to take up this space this month so I may honor the BAMSL members who served during my BAMSL presidency. It is an honor and a privilege to finally be able to recognize and award these individuals for their volunteerism during the 2020-21 bar year.

Mary Gordon is an incredible volunteer lawyer. She has provided truly excellent pro bono legal work to Legal Services of Eastern Missouri's (LSEM) Neighborhood Vacancy Initiative (NVI) since the program began in 2018. Her work has been outstanding and has changed lives and strengthened neighborhoods.

The Bench & Bar Conference provides an unparalleled opportunity to network and socialize with other attorneys and judges. The last Bench & Bar I attended gave me the chance to build relationships with several new colleagues and spend quality time with judges outside of the courtroom.

Ransom is the first African American woman appointed to the Supreme Court, and only the fifth woman to join the Court. She was selected from a pool of 25 applicants, and Parson selected Ransom from a panel that included Judge Don Burrell, Missouri Court of Appeals Southern District, and Judge William Corrigan, Jr., St. Louis County Circuit Court. Ransom replaces Judge Laura Denvir Stith, who retired in March.

Spiritual Well-Being is defined by the Institute for Well-Being in Law as developing a sense of meaningfulness and purpose in all aspects of life.

Who is ready to finally get the chance to head to the Lake of the Ozarks for a fun-filled BAMSL Bench & Bar Conference? Given what we have seen so far as we return to in-person events, I think that BAMSL members are excited and ready to get out and network and socialize with their colleagues.

Though most of us are now settled into this new virtual office format, the path was difficult for young lawyers in a different way. As the online presence of firms solidified, other concerns began to creep into the minds of legal professionals stemming from the pandemic.