Executive summary: 80 years and counting

Mischa Buford Epps is executive director of The Missouri Bar.

It was 1944. World War II was raging. Hundreds of Missouri lawyers were serving in the U.S. Armed Forces. Segregation and Jim Crow laws were commonplace, and the U.S. Supreme Court issued its watershed decision in Smith v. Allwright, overturning all-white primary elections in Texas. President Franklin D. Roosevelt was running for reelection to a historic fourth term. 

In Missouri, following the urgings of various bar associations and individual lawyers across the state, and the careful study and recommendations of the Supreme Court of Missouri’s Committee on Integration of the Bar, a referendum vote of Missouri’s lawyers was held. The votes cast were 6-1 in favor of integration of the bar. 

With this result, the Court adopted a court rule on June 16, 1944, that organized the entire bar of Missouri into a fully integrated, all-inclusive unit known as The Missouri Bar. 

Supreme Court of Missouri judges and bar leaders at that time understood the value of working together to improve the legal profession and give the people of Missouri a better judicial system. In September 1944, as Hon. Forrest M. Hemker, of St. Louis, addressed the final annual meeting of the old Missouri Bar Association, he stated:

“Today, for the first time, we stand united as a single group. Every Missouri lawyer will henceforth contribute in his own way to the work of our profession, and share the rewards that go with those experiences … The ‘integrity and efficiency’ of the judicial system requires constant attention. It is self-evident that if half the lawyers of this state have been able to accomplish so much, there is no limit to what all of us can do working together.”

Hemker’s sentiment is true now, 80 years later, just as it was then – there is no limit to what we can accomplish working together. As members of our unified bar, Missouri lawyers from across the state and of all backgrounds and practice areas work together to fulfill our public duty to seek improvement of the law, access to the legal system, the administration of justice, and the quality of service rendered by our legal profession. 

There are myriad ways that you can contribute to the bar’s work. You may:

• help to provide high-quality, timely continuing legal education programs; 
• speak to citizens in your community to demystify our justice system and stress the importance of the rule of law;
• encourage a high school student to consider the law in their career plans; 
• answer a resident’s legal question through Missouri.FreeLegalAnswers.org; 
• serve as a resource or expert for elected officials; or 
• provide peer support to a fellow lawyer through a personal challenge.

Without the input and work of its members, The Missouri Bar couldn’t do what it does. From seasoned veterans to young legal minds, each member brings a unique perspective and expertise that enriches the bar’s collective work. The Missouri Bar is YOU! 

As we celebrate the 80th anniversary of the establishment of The Missouri Bar, we honor the pioneers who laid the foundation for the bar’s work and recognize the invaluable contributions made by members past and present. With a renewed sense of purpose and determination, we embark on the next chapter of The Missouri Bar’s journey, confident in our ability to adapt and thrive in our ever-changing world. 

I and Missouri Bar leaders welcome and encourage your constructive feedback and suggestions as we work together to improve the law, enhance access to justice, and help Missouri lawyers even better serve their clients and communities. 

Best regards,
Mischa

Read more articles about The Missouri Bar's 80th anniversary:

80 years stronger together

80 years of lawyers working together