February 2022 #YourMOLaw month in review

Spring is on the horizon this week as the weather finally warms. However, ongoing weather concerns in February prompted closures of several Missouri courts and The Missouri Bar center on several occasions due to unsafe driving conditions. 

The first highlighted article for the month describes the impact The Missouri Bar’s Citizenship Education Department has in encouraging the next generation of leaders. This bar program creates resources to help teachers discuss government and constitutional issues, along with programs to help students understand and engage in civics.  

In addition to educational handouts and programs for teachers, citizenship education also hosts an annual competition to help high school students fully understand the role the Constitution of the United States plays in our everyday lives. 

Trish Baumgartner, a teacher at Jefferson High School in Festus, regularly participates in the department’s trainings. She says the programming has developed her teaching style. 

“Really understanding a concept requires more than memorization,” Baumgartner says, noting that methods shared by The Missouri Bar ask students to use what they have learned. “It requires students to look at both sides of an issue and assess where they stand.”  

Learn more about the programs offered by the bar’s Citizenship Education Department here. 

Another important item of news this month was the postponement of the State of the Judiciary address. Supreme Court of Missouri Chief Justice Paul Wilson intended to address the joint session of the Missouri House of Representatives and Missouri Senate on Feb. 8. Due to unforeseen circumstances, that speech will now take place at 10 a.m. on March 8. 

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