Aleigh Flournoy: Leadership Academy ‘grounded in real-life leadership’
Meet Aleigh Flournoy, a member of the 2025-2026 Missouri Bar Leadership Academy class! A graduate of the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law, Flournoy is associate general counsel for North Kansas City Health. She previously was a judicial extern to Hon. Brian C. Wimes and Hon. Jill A. Morris.
Every year, The Missouri Bar brings together a select group of new and young lawyers to serve on the Leadership Academy. Each class completes a service project, engages in leadership workshops, networks with leaders in Missouri’s legal profession, and attends bar meetings. Following graduation, members continue to serve The Missouri Bar in an active capacity for two years.
Flournoy recently chatted with The Missouri Bar about her unique path to becoming a lawyer, her favorite parts of Leadership Academy, her advice to new lawyers, and more.
What has been your favorite part about being on Leadership Academy so far?
“My favorite part of Leadership Academy has been everything I never saw coming. While the formal programming has been outstanding, some of the most meaningful growth has come from the relationships formed along the way … It is the phone calls, text messages, and emails that continue long after a meeting ends. It is the willingness to ask, ‘Have you dealt with this before?’ ‘What do you think about this situation?’ or, in those inevitable rookie-attorney moments, ‘Did I completely screw this up?’ Those conversations have reminded me that good lawyers seek answers, but great lawyers are not afraid to ask for help finding them.”
Why did you decide to apply for Leadership Academy?
“The reason I applied for Leadership Academy can be summed up in four words from my nominator and lifelong mentor: “You're ready. Apply.” … I am grateful not only for Rita Luukkonen’s confidence in me, but also for her willingness to give me the push I needed. Her faith in me gave me the confidence to act on that nomination, and applying for Leadership Academy has been one of the most rewarding professional decisions I have made.”
What do you value most about The Missouri Bar and its mission?
“What I value most about The Missouri Bar is its recognition that the legal profession exists to serve something greater than itself. Its mission is ‘to improve the legal profession, the administration of justice, and the law on behalf of the public.’ Those goals are inseparable. Stronger lawyers strengthen the profession, and a stronger profession strengthens public trust in our legal system.
“… The Missouri Bar reminds us that being a lawyer is about more than practicing law. It is about being a steward of the profession, a champion for the rule of law, and a servant to our communities. That commitment to both professional excellence and public service is what makes The Missouri Bar such an important institution.”
This year's class service project centers around learning about new lawyers’ needs, wants, and perceptions of The Missouri Bar. How do you see this work shaping the bar’s overall ability to continue helping lawyers even better serve their clients?
“By intentionally seeking input from newer attorneys, The Missouri Bar is … investing in the future of the profession. Understanding what new lawyers need to succeed helps the bar develop programs and resources that are relevant, practical, and impactful. When attorneys have access to meaningful … opportunities to build professional relationships, they are better equipped to navigate challenges, exercise sound judgment, and serve their clients effectively.”
Why should new/young lawyers consider applying for Leadership Academy?
“Leadership Academy goes beyond teaching traditional leadership skills; it is grounded in real-life leadership. There is something powerful about hearing Supreme Court of Missouri and Court of Appeals judges, along with some of the state’s most respected attorneys, speak candidly about the challenges they have faced … If a lawyer is unsure whether the program is worth it, my answer is simple: Apply … The relationships, perspectives, and lessons you gain will stay with you long after the program ends.”
Why did you want to become a lawyer?
“My first job was dusting those massive print law books and the tall shelves that held them in a Kansas City law firm’s library … There was something remarkable about holding those books and knowing that the words bound between those leather covers had the power to change, well, the world. I wanted to be part of that, but my path to the law was not direct. I earned degrees in journalism and business and built a career outside the practice of law. Then, in 2016, I became a mother and it changed my perspective …
“I became a lawyer because I wanted to help people, because I had witnessed the difference lawyers can make in people’s lives, and because I have always been drawn to stories and their impact. Somewhere between dusting those law books and reading them, albeit online by that point, I realized the law gave me a way to do both.”
What advice would you give to new/young lawyers?
“Winning is gratifying and losing is painful, but neither is as important as what you learn from the experience. Success can create the illusion that there is nothing left to learn; humility reminds us there always is … The best lawyers are not those who always have the answers. They are the ones willing to keep searching until they find them.”
Editor’s note: These answers have been edited for clarity and conciseness. Learn more about Leadership Academy here.