2026 Missouri Bar Senior Counselors offer advice
Each year, The Missouri Bar designates a group of lawyers as “Senior Counselors.” The Senior Counselor recognition includes those Missouri Bar members who currently hold an active license in good standing who have been admitted to The Missouri Bar for 50 years or will reach the age of 75 during the current bar enrollment year of Jan. 1-Dec. 31, 2026.
The Missouri Bar asked this year's class to share some words of wisdom with their fellow Missouri lawyers — specifically those recently admitted to the bar. Here's what some of them said:
Lawrence J. Altman: “Have empathy for everyone. Having empathy will help you break boundaries with everyone and will improve your moral compass.”
Michael D. Arnold: “It is important for lawyers to make a commitment to serve the community in which they practice in ways they enjoy and find personally rewarding because leadership is a vital part of our profession.”
Richard A. Barry III: “Ask the right questions.”
George A. Barton: “Put yourself in a position where you can learn from experienced attorneys in your chosen area of the law; and try to develop a specialized practice area, at least to some extent.”
Debra E. Behrendt: “Contribute to your community. Take time to help people in need. The practice of law is a noble profession.”
Gary Richard Bradley: “The legal journey is very rewarding and satisfying if you respect (1) your client’s needs and limitations, (2) the law’s certainty, [and] (3) the attorney’s best efforts in maintaining both professional and personal balance.”
Daniel Robert Brown: “I believe it is a rewarding career if you are diligent in representing your clients and stay current on developments in your chosen practice area.”
Hon. Charles D. Curless: “Be collegial with fellow lawyers. Don’t be a jerk.”
Sharon Ann Gerber Dickinson: “Making a detailed outline of the facts in all documents and pleadings helps identify the important issues. If the law is not in your favor on an issue, research other jurisdictions to develop creative arguments.”
Hon. Robert G. Dowd Jr.: “Always be prepared!”
Steven E. Faber: “Be kind to and respect the court staff — this is what my father told me before I got out of his car to start my internship in the circuit attorney’s office. Sidney Faber was a career D.A.”
Robert Edward Fox Jr.: “Always be honest, then you will have only one story to remember.”
Ty Steven Gaither: “Be prepared for court, answer all phone calls within 24 hours, and remember to take time off to recharge and relax.”
James Michael Gallen: “It is not about you. It is about your clients and others interested in matters entrusted to your care. Cultivate relationships within the bar.”
Nathan C. Harbur: “Always follow your conscience and you will do well.”
Eric C. “Ric” Harris: “‘Tis more important to take the right case than to know the law.’ This paper note was glued to my desk drawer in 1976 by the firm’s founder. I should have listened.”
Hon. Mark Jay Harris: “Always be ethical.”
Elizabeth Healey: “It is truly a noble profession — serve it well, be honest, be true, be sure to have fun.”
Hon. James Kingdon Justus: “My advice to lawyers would be to maintain professional integrity and dedication to the profession. Being truthful is crucial for your reputation. Learn to listen to what is being said at all times.”
David Jay Krauss: “Follow your judgement and protect your values.”
David O. Kreuter: “Enjoy your time with your adversaries. They are not the enemy.”
Steven C. Krueger: “Clients often do not know if they are getting good legal work, but they know if they are getting good service.”
John H. Lamming: “For superior professional development, be open and receptive to opportunities that may arise in unexpected practice areas you were not previously aware of or might not have known you could become qualified for. Moving upward in this manner may require related further development. After a short time in private civil practice, I moved into the field of patent/IP law, completed work for a BS and MS in a technical field, enjoyed more than 40 years of practice with multinational corporations, an elite private university, and the U.S. Army.”
Leo L. Logan III: “It is only a noble profession if you remain dedicated to the highest intellectual and ethical standards.”
Michael W. Manners: “1. Treat opposing counsel the way you want to be treated. 2. Remember that you work for your clients, not the other way around. 3. Be prepared when you go to court; your credibility depends on it.”
Michal A. Markenson: “In making early employment decisions, young lawyers make a few mistakes in selecting employers. First, all employers are not laboratories for training lawyers. The size of the firm may not dictate their ability to train young lawyers, create a culture, and promote them to positions of authority.
“A second mistake young attorneys make is placing primary emphasis on compensation. Instead, focus on a firm with an interest in you, training, and finding a specialty, and to move ahead financially in the future. The practice of law affords prestige, immense job satisfaction, and security, independence, and stability. However, it can and will interfere in family relationships and become stressful. The key is to balance the practice with those important family relationships. Clients will come and go, but your family will remain forever.”
William Nassau Marshall III: “You can be proud, but don’t be arrogant.”
Hon. Michael Robert McAdam: “Thank you for this honor. I appreciate all the good work that The Missouri Bar has done in the last half century. I can’t fully express my gratitude to all The Missouri Bar leaders over the past 50 years for advancing the standards of the legal profession and remembering that all our efforts as lawyers and judges is the honorable pursuit of justice for all.”
Christopher J. Miller: “Your character depends upon how you treat others, especially those who can do nothing for you.”
Max E. Mitchell: “Lawyers play a vital role in our society, and we must do everything in our power to protect the rule of law! Be passionate about the pursuit of justice and remember every day to take seriously our oath of admission. And … always consider the defenseless and the oppressed.”
Linda Marie Mustoe: “Start each day reading and reaffirming your oath to support the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of Missouri. Then do it!”
George Edwin Proctor Jr.: “Read Abraham Lincoln’s notes for a law lecture.”
William Michael Quitmeier: “May every attorney treat their clients like they would want a family member treated by an attorney.”
Shari R. Rhode: “Always pay it forward. Help where you can, anyway you can.”
Edward A. Rose, Jr.: “Practice with ethics.”
Mark Sableman: “Precedent and black letter rules are important and useful, but only part of the picture. Lawyers should understand the principles behind the law and work to apply them wisely to a changing world.”
Daniel J. Schwartz: “Takes total focus to do it correctly.”
Kenneth A. Seufert: “Never give up; never surrender.”
Hon. Edwin H. Smith: “First and foremost, choose a practice that aligns with your strengths. Second, in developing your practice, learn from lawyers who are widely recognized for their excellence, but be authentic. Don’t try to imitate them. Cookie-cutter lawyers are boring and, therefore, less effective than they otherwise could be. Over the long term, the practice of law rewards individuality. While good character is essential to the practice of law, embracing your own unique personality and style — being the true character you are — will make you a more interesting, compelling, and effective advocate for your clients. Third, live you[r] life and practice law with great passion. Passion pays.”
V. Raymond Stranghoener: “Your reputation for honesty and integrity is crucial to effective representation, regardless of legal specialty.”
Mark W. Suardi: “‘Doubt is never a pleasant condition but certainly is an absurd one.’ – Voltaire”
Mike Svetlic: “Work hard, be honest.”
Robert M. Sweere: “Try as many jury cases as you can early in your career.”
Elgene C. Ver Dught: “Be kind, courteous, positive, and constructive in all relations and communications. Encourage clients and others involved in conflict to embrace mediation, utilize strategic negotiations skills, and the mediation process will transform the parties and you from adversaries into collaborators, enhancing your settlement resolution philosophy and vocabulary. Remember positive communication skills and cooperative future relationships will be enhanced and empowering for participants to control decisions affecting their lives and business affairs.”
John A. Vering III: “Treat other lawyers the way you want to be treated. Your word is your bond. Respond promptly to client requests and keep clients informed.”
Richard Donald Watters: “Always treat the court and your opponent with respect. You never know when today’s opposing counsel will be tomorrow’s co-counsel.”
John C. Weller: “Always meet your clients. If you don’t already know your opponent, call and introduce yourself. Consider talking about your case early with opponent.”
Dorothy L. White-Coleman: “The practice of law is a profession, and lawyers are professionals. Do your work with courage and skill, and practice with respect, integrity, and civility. Always endeavor to treat others the way you want to be treated even when they don’t deserve it. I said ‘endeavor;’ I know it is not easy. Be a student of the law and never stop learning or evolving. As I look at how the law has changed, and technology has altered the practice during the course of my career, it has indeed been a journey, not a destination.”
Branson L. Wood III: “There are all kinds of examples of different styles of the practice of law by great lawyers, but in the end, lawyers have to be themselves; they cannot be anyone else.”
Randell Keith Wood: “Remember that you are a counselor of law. You are there to provide advice to your clients in times of great need.”
Marie Spencer Woodbury: “Always protect your integrity. Once you lose it, it is very hard to recover it. Respect the law and the court and act respectfully to everyone involved in the legal process.”
Valarie Standefer Zeeck: “• As you begin the practice of law, pay attention to what the veteran lawyers say and do. There is wisdom there. Likewise, pay attention to the newcomers. They bring fresh skills and knowledge worth considering.
• Set an example. Speak truthfully, honor your commitments you make, be kind.
• Treasure your staff. The practice of law depends on the work of paralegals, interns, secretaries, and clerks. These invaluable colleagues will save you more times than you can count.
• Our rule of law is unique ... When you swear the oath to become a lawyer, defending it becomes your highest responsibility.”
Editor's note: Answers have been edited for style, clarity, and brevity.