Five lawyers honored with 2025 Pro Bono Awards
Luke Jackson, Anthony Meyer, Marisa Alexis No, Monica K. Spier, and Sarah Webb Elfrink are The Missouri Bar’s 2025 Pro Bono Award recipients, recognizing their commitment to serving their communities and dedication to ensuring equal access to legal services for all.
Jackson
Jackson is a litigation partner at Weigl Law in St. Louis. He volunteers with Legal Services of Eastern Missouri’s Neighborhood Advocacy program, where he litigates the sale, transfer, or improvement of neglected properties. He works directly with neighborhood residents to empower their communities and restore historic properties to points of pride.
“There is nothing more rewarding than knowing your efforts are directly helping to improve lives, restore communities, and build something better for all of us,” Jackson said. “Service to others not only draws you closer to your community, it makes you a better, more fulfilled, and more empathetic attorney.”
Meyer
Meyer earned his J.D. from the University of Missouri School of Law. He founded the firm Meyer Moody LLC in Columbia and is a graduate of the 2021-2022 Leadership Academy class.
Meyer volunteers with The Missouri Bar’s Fee Dispute Resolution and Complaint Resolution programs, which help lawyers and clients solve disputes in confidential facilitation, mediation, or binding arbitration. He also serves as a special public defender.
“I believe all lawyers have a responsibility to engage in pro bono work,” Meyer said. “Service to a community can take many forms, and all lawyers have something to offer.”
No
No earned her J.D. from Washburn University School of Law and is an associate with Joseph, Hollander & Craft, LLC in Kansas City. She volunteers with Legal Aid of Western Missouri’s Volunteer Attorney Project, providing pro bono legal services for family law matters. She has also volunteered as a Court Appointed Special Advocate.
No is driven by a desire to provide hope for clients in difficult situations. She is particularly proud of a case where she was able to help a survivor of domestic violence obtain a dissolution of marriage.
“When we finally began to gain traction in the case, she expressed her relief and how it took a huge burden off her shoulders,” No said. “I will never forget how it felt in that moment to know a difference was being made in her life and well-being.”
She encourages other lawyers, regardless of where they are in their career, to give back to their communities through pro bono work.
“I think it can be easy sometimes to forget, especially as you gain years of practice, that legal matters are quite intimidating to most people, and that being an advocate in someone's corner can quite literally change the trajectory of their life,” No said. “Even if you feel that the service you may provide is insubstantial, provide that service. You never know the impact you may have.”
Spier
Spier earned her J.D. from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law. She is a lawyer at the Cisar Law Firm in Lake Ozark. A certified guardian ad litem, she focuses her career on family law and criminal cases. She is dedicated to advocating for the best interests of children and vulnerable populations.
“Your greatest opportunities for growth may lie outside your traditional work. Embrace your professional obligation to your community by finding a pro bono cause that fuels your passion,” Spier said. “Taking on a new area of law to serve a critical need will not only make a profound impact on others but also provide invaluable experience that will shape you as a more effective and compassionate advocate.”
Webb Elfrink
Webb Elfrink earned her J.D. from the Saint Louis University School of Law. She co-founded the Webb Law Firm with her father and focuses her practice on workers’ compensation. She also provides general legal services and financial counseling to the public pro bono.
Webb Elfrink is passionate about helping others and volunteers with the Society of St. Vincent de Paul helping provide families and individuals with rent, utility, and food assistance. She said her father taught her that being a lawyer is about serving others.
“Like my dad, I enjoy showing the next generation that we have an obligation to help others,” Webb Elfrink said. “If we have the ability and resources, we should help.”
Click here to learn more about annual awards presented by The Missouri Bar, The Missouri Bar Foundation, and other entities. Read about other 2025 award winners here.