Athena Dickson emphasizes mentorship, well-being, education on role of judiciary as new Missouri Bar president

Nicole Roberts-Hillen is assistant director of communications and editor at The Missouri Bar.

As 2025-2026 president of The Missouri Bar, Kansas City lawyer Athena Dickson plans to lead with a strong focus on educating lawyers and the public about the role of the judiciary and Missouri’s Non-Partisan Court Plan, enhancing mentorship opportunities, and promoting well-being initiatives for the legal community. 

Dickson, an employment discrimination lawyer, began her term Sept. 18 when she was sworn in during the Annual Meeting of The Missouri Bar in Branson. 

Meet Dickson 

Amidst the difficult time of her parents’ divorce, Dickson, 14 years old at the time, found an unexpected beacon of light: the lawyers and judge. 

“They were the calmest in the courtroom,” Dickson recalled, an observation that sparked her initial interest in the legal profession and her passion for helping others. 

Having witnessed firsthand the impact of legal advocacy, Dickson pursued a degree in criminal justice from Missouri Western University and worked at Kansas Legal Services, where she assisted with abuse cases. She went on to graduate from the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law and is now a partner at Siro Smith Dickson PC.

“It really resonated with me that hard-working, long-term employees, through no fault of their own, are being terminated because of their age, sex, race, national origin, or disability,” she said. “These employees take their time away from their families and friends to do the best job they can and then, in a moment, must rebuild everything. Helping employees speaks to me, and that’s why I continue to do it to this day.” 

Following the advice of her mentor, Rik Siro, Dickson quickly immersed herself in the local legal community. She is a past president of the Association for Women Lawyers of Greater Kansas City (AWL) and the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association (KCMBA). She is the current vice president of the Association for Women Lawyers of Greater Kansas City Foundation (AWLF) and serves on the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Foundation board (KCMBF). Dickson also serves on Lawyers Encouraging Academic Performance (LEAP), works with Operation Breakthrough, and is a vice-president of the University of Missouri-Kansas City Law Foundation. 

Her leadership experience with AWL and KCMBA drove her to pursue a broader impact. She was elected to The Missouri Bar’s Board of Governors in 2016 and its Executive Committee in 2021.

Presidency 

As Dickson takes the helm, she said she is excited to build relationships across the state and “come into a role where I can help educate citizens on the role of the judiciary and Missouri’s Non-Partisan Court Plan.” 

Dickson also hopes to empower Missouri lawyers to even better serve their clients and communities through a focus on mentorship and well-being. 

Role of the judiciary

Dickson emphasized that it’s “the responsibility of all Missouri lawyers to help preserve the integrity” of the judicial system and educate the public about the role of the judiciary and the value of Missouri’s Non-Partisan Court Plan, a model that attracts high-quality judges in the least political way and ultimately gives the people the final say. 

“Our judiciary ensures that the parties in front of them are treated equally,” she said. “We see this across the state daily. This education and these conversations about Missouri’s Non-Partisan Court Plan help build public understanding and trust in the legal system.” 

Learn more about Missouri’s Non-Partisan Court Plan, commonly known as The Missouri Plan, at YourMissouriJudges.org. 

Mentorship 

As a first-generation lawyer, Dickson remembered the steep learning curve. She was amazed to learn there were families that had generations of lawyers. 

“When I entered law school, I noticed that legacy students already knew so much about the profession, while I knew so little,” Dickson said. “Over time, I’ve learned that even first-generation lawyers can and should enter this profession with equal knowledge and confidence. Mentorship is the bridge that helps close that gap for those beginning their journey in law.” 

Dickson quickly embraced mentorship, determined to help new and young lawyers traverse the intricacies of the legal profession. She mentors through the AWLF mentorship program and regularly shares advice with The Missouri Bar’s Leadership Academy. 

Dickson appreciates when lawyers approach her at conferences seeking information about available programs or how to get involved. She encouraged lawyers to be proactive, noting that if you spot someone you hope to learn from, you shouldn’t hesitate to reach out and suggest a coffee or lunch meeting. 

“I’m so proud of our profession because we will say ‘yes,’” she said. “We want the profession to be successful, and we know the way to do that is through mentoring.” 

This engagement is also a prime opportunity for new lawyers to discover the plethora of services and resources The Missouri Bar offers, Dickson added. 

“Whatever you need assistance with, I promise you there is a program or committee The Missouri Bar has that can help you educate and even better serve your clients,” she said. 

Mentorship shouldn’t wait until law school or the first few years of practice, though. Dickson routinely interacts with high school students and provides insights to prospective lawyers through the KCMBA’s Student Law Academy. She has also judged and provided feedback to students during The Missouri Bar’s Show Me the Constitution, a high school mock-congressional hearing competition. 

“I think it’s important for us to be present in high schools, talking with students and encouraging them to consider a career in law,” she said. “We should be inspiring them early and often to explore this path and supporting them as they take their next steps.” 

Well-being 

Beyond mentorship, Dickson is dedicated to advancing The Missouri Bar’s well-being efforts during her presidency. She pointed to the bar’s recent well-being survey as an important resource for identifying the current needs of the profession.

“I look forward to learning how we can help lawyers in our state with services and programs for the needs that the survey identifies,” said Dickson, who is a past chair of the bar’s Lawyers Living Well Special Committee — now the Standing Committee on Well-Being in the Profession. 

Call to action 

If you are interested in joining The Missouri Bar’s efforts to educate the public and help lawyers even better serve their clients, the bar offers several opportunities to get involved. From serving on committees and presenting CLEs to talking with students at schools, there is something for every lawyer. Visit MoBar.org to learn more. 

“Please join me in these educational efforts to empower informed citizenship and create an even stronger legal profession,” Dickson said.