2025 Spring Committee Meetings attracts more than 6,100 total participation

Missouri lawyers came in strong during the 2025 Spring Committee Meetings, with 6,160 total participation. Held April 28-May 1, the Spring Committee Meetings consisted of 31 meetings hosted by 33 committees. Of those 31 meetings, 27 offered no-cost CLEs.

Karima Berkat Gilbert, chair of the Animal Law Committee, encouraged all lawyers to get involved in committees, whether related to their practice or an area of interest.

“It provides a forum for information sharing, networking, and can serve as a great resource for lawyers in general,” Berkat Gilbert said. “It doesn’t have to be a huge time commitment, but you can put as much into it as you like. You can be really active on the blog page (connect.MOBAR community) and have some interesting conversations with peers or just attend free CLEs and read email updates regarding that committee’s area of interest.”

For the Spring Committee Meetings, Berkat Gilbert helped organize the Animal Law Committee’s CLE on the intersection of animal law and veterans law in Missouri. Berkat Gilbert emphasized that “animal law is more than just ‘animal rights’” and hoped attendees learned how animal law ties to military dogs’ duties.

Also at the Spring Committee Meetings, the Juvenile Courts and Laws Committee hosted a CLE on working with neurodiverse children. Committee Chair Karen Bickel hoped lawyers became more aware of the resources and services available to practitioners and their neurodiverse clients.

Bickel also recommended lawyers join committees to stay informed about specific areas of law, adding that the Juvenile Courts and Laws Committee offers a platform for discussing questions, concerns, and resources that affect juvenile law practice in Missouri.

Enroll in the various open-enrollment committees here.

Stay tuned for information about the Fall Committee Meetings at MoBar.org.