Cacchio, Britt, Barnard honored with 2026 Young Lawyers’ Section Chair Awards
Each year at the Annual Meeting of The Missouri Bar, the outgoing Missouri Bar Young Lawyers’ Section Council chair presents the YLS Chair Awards. The awards are given to exceptional members who enrich the council and the message of The Missouri Bar and its lawyers. This year, 2025-2026 YLS Council Chair Nicholas Jain presented the awards to Jennifer Cacchio, Portia Britt, Brice C. Barnard.
Cacchio
Cacchio is a lawyer with Krigel, Nugent & Moore in Kansas City, representing individuals and organizations in a variety of legal disputes. She graduated from the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law and started her legal career in public service.
Having served for four years in the YLS Council, Cacchio said she’s been part of many initiatives and noted that the YLS well-being and diversity committees have “really taken off” in the past few years.
“I decided to become a lawyer because I like finding solutions to problems,” Cacchio said. “Working with the YLS Council is an extension of that. We identify needs in the Missouri legal community, and we get to serve that need.”
Cacchio said her advice to fellow Missouri lawyers would be to express appreciation for each other.
“If you admire a quality in a colleague, or you notice that a coworker's hard work is going unrecognized, tell them,” Cacchio said. “Even telling opposing counsel that you enjoyed working with them can make someone's day, and it will help them remember you in the future.”
Britt
Britt graduated from the University of Missouri School of Law and is an assistant prosecuting attorney in St. Louis County, handling primarily cases involving domestic violence. Britt previously worked for the St. Louis County Counselor’s Office, Maryville University, and the City of St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office.
Along with serving on the YLS Council, Britt is a Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis delegate to the American Bar Association House of Delegates. She is a content coordinator for the ABA Section of State, Local, and Tribal Government Law and is on the Board of St. Louis Survivors Legal Support.
Britt said it was “truly an honor” to be recognized for her work over the last several years.
“The Missouri Bar has given me so much, and my goal through my work with the American Bar Association and other organizations has been to demonstrate that Missouri has a lot of great lawyers who are willing to put in the work to make the profession and the world better,” Britt said.
Britt said she encourages other lawyers to be involved in bar service, as it is important to the legal profession and the communities lawyers serve.
“Even small contributions of time and effort can make a meaningful difference, and being involved through The Missouri Bar was a steady reminder of how rewarding it is to give back,” Britt said.
Barnard
Barnard is a trial lawyer with Heath Injury Law LLC in Kansas City, where he represents injured persons in wrongful death, sexual abuse, medical malpractice, trucking accidents, and insurance bad faith cases. He was previously a prosecutor in Platte County, where he focused on violent felony offenses and created and supervised Platte County’s first diversion program.
He said his passion for the law is driven by the desire to make a meaningful difference in his community and the lives of the people he shares it with.
The award is an “incredible honor,” Barnard said, particularly because of the young lawyers who achieved it before him, whom he admires.
“To me, this award means so much more than the recognition,” Barnard said. “It shows the value of time and effort I’ve been able to devote to serving alongside the incredible talent on the YLS Council for several years. It’s truly a reflection of the people I’ve had the privilege to work with over anything I’ve personally accomplished.”
His advice to fellow lawyers, he said, is to be yourself.
“You don’t need to pretend to practice law like someone else or try to become something you’re not to earn respect,” Barnard said. “Find your voice, know your worth, and do good work.”
Click here to learn more about annual awards presented by The Missouri Bar, the Missouri Bar Foundation, and other entities. Read about other 2026 award winners here.