Congratulations to Kirkwood High School, which won the Missouri High School Mock Trial Competition last weekend and will represent Missouri at the National High School Mock Trial Championship. Congratulations also to Clayton High School, which finished second.

The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri currently has two Judicial vacancies posted, one to succeed U.S. Magistrate Judge Nannette A. Baker and the other to succeed U.S. Magistrate Judge David D. Noce. Judge Baker is retiring in February 2023 and Judge Noce is retiring in May 2023. Applications will be received until May 2, 2022, and I encourage you to apply.

Since its founding in 1874, the two most important goals of our bar association have been to promote civility among our members, and to provide educational opportunities for those members. If there is one thing that I have realized from my time in your bar association’s leadership ranks, it is the amazing way our local judges at both the state and federal levels support our association. It makes sense if you think about it (which I never did), in that the judges benefit greatly by having a civilized bar, and hence fewer spats over which they must referee.

The Digital Marketing Specialist is responsible for managing BAMSL's and The St. Louis Bar Foundation's websites, as well as developing, administering and tracking electronic communications for the association and overseeing and executing the development, production and maintenance of electronic and web-based communications, including social media, website, and email communications. The position will report to the Assistant Executive Director of Membership/Marketing and will work closely with other staff and the Executive Director. The position is expected to perform all responsibilities with a commitment to providing superior service to the association's attorneys and professional staff and must be able to interact with all levels within the association.

A Facebook memory of a post I made in 2013 popped up when I was checking my timeline earlier today. It said, "When it comes to setting long term goals, I'm not the best. I tend to be more of a 'take things as they come' type of person. This morning I was gently reminded to focus on 'by design and not default.' This doesn't mean that everything needs to be mapped out and planned, but it does mean that focusing on what I want will ensure that my life is not by default. It seems simple, but it is a reminder of why people who have both similar and different strengths from us are important. Thanks for helping me push on."

In 2022, we like to think that we have mastered the implementation of diversity, equity and inclusion. But much like the practice of law, there is no such thing as "mastering" the implementation of diversity, equity, and inclusion, just continuous practice to create improvement. The goal is to get better, not be perfect.

Representation in any walk of life is a very important factor, which should not be undervalued. That representation also is an additional reason diversity, equity and inclusion are invaluable, particularly in the legal field.

This is indeed an interesting time to chair the BAMSL Minorities in the Legal Profession (MILP) Committee. Nationally, many are asking questions about the role of lawyers and courts to end discrimination in its varied forms. Across the state, bar associations are developing committees and surveys to quantify and increase diversity within the legal profession, while lawyers legislate and litigate racially charged topics like wrongful conviction and Critical Race Theory in our schools.

A special thanks to all the BAMSL members and law firms who donated more than $58,000 to the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis' MLK Day of Service drive-through event on Jan. 17.

If you are like me, you might have assumed that one reason the Dred and Harriett Scott case is so well known is that it was unique in American jurisprudence. Surely, it must have been rare for an enslaved couple living in a slave state in the 1840s to have the courage to sue their master in a court of law for their freedom? Think again.