Danielle R. Drake awarded for community service

In honor of her dedication to helping her community, Danielle R. Drake will receive this year’s Missouri Bar Young Lawyers’ Section Tom Cochran Community Service Award. 

The Tom Cochran Community Service Award recognizes a member of The Missouri Bar whose service and professionalism have enhanced their community. The award is named after Thomas D. Cochran, whose commitment and contributions to the practice of law and his community inspired generations of lawyers.  

Drake is a partner at Parks & Drake, Attorneys at the Lake, where she represents clients throughout Mid-Missouri in family law, real estate, civil litigation, and business matters. A graduate of the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law, Drake is The Missouri Bar Young Lawyers’ Section Council District 12 representative, is co-chair of the YLS Council CLE committee, and is a member of several statewide initiatives focused on leadership and professional development.

Drake received this award in recognition of her commitment to community service and leadership as president of The Changing Table, Mid-Missouri’s regional diaper bank. Drake works closely with the organization’s board of directors and executive director to support daily operations, expand community partnerships, and further the nonprofit’s mission of ensuring that no child goes without an adequate supply of diapers.

She represents the organization at community events, educates local businesses and civic groups about diaper insecurity, and advocates for increased awareness of the challenges many working families face in accessing basic necessities. Her leadership has helped strengthen the organization’s visibility in the region.

Drake said she is dedicated to helping others navigate some of life’s most difficult circumstances with compassion and integrity. Through her legal career and volunteer efforts, she said she has “demonstrated that meaningful community impact is created through consistent leadership, advocacy, and a genuine commitment to serving others.”

Drake said she is motivated by knowing that every case, every client, and every opportunity to serve is a chance to make a positive impact.

“My passion for my work is not the law itself, rather my passion is solving problems for people when they feel like no one else can,” Drake said. “The law is simply the tool I have chosen to accomplish that work.”

She said she is motivated not by “winning,” but by “taking a chaotic, emotional situation and bringing clarity, direction, and a path forward to the client.”

She encourages every lawyer, especially new lawyers, to remember that the legal profession is fundamentally one of service.

“The most meaningful work you will do may never appear on your résumé or in a courtroom,” Drake said. “Don't underestimate the impact of small acts of service.”

Drake will accept the Tom Cochran Community Service Award in Kansas City during the Annual Meeting of The Missouri Bar and Judicial Conference, Sept. 16-18.

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.