Hon. Colleen Dolan, Kristy Lambert appointed to Joint Commission on Women in the Profession

Hon. Colleen Dolan and Kristy A. Lambert recently joined the Joint Commission on Women in the Profession. 

The Supreme Court of Missouri appointed Dolan to the commission to replace Hon. Robin Ransom, effective Aug. 31, 2021. Dolan serves as a judge for the Missouri Court of Appeals-Eastern District. 

“I was very honored when Judge (Mary) Russell called me to tell me of my appointment to the Joint Commission on Women in the Profession, and I look forward to working with its members who have already done so much to secure the equal participation of women in our profession,” Dolan said.  

The Missouri Bar Board of Governors appointed Lambert to succeed Sylvia Edgar, with a term ending on Sept. 30, 2022. Lambert currently serves as the legal counsel for the Missouri Commission on Human Rights and has spoken at several continuing legal education seminars regarding discrimination issues. 

Lambert referenced her older sister’s law class – containing about a quarter of women – and her own class seven years later which was at 42%; now it’s not unheard of to see law classes with a majority of women. However, when companies poll lawyers after law school, she added, there is no longer that level of representation of women in the profession. Lambert said she is eager to work with the commission to eliminate barriers that women in the profession encounter. 

“The commission’s work to identify and address bias and other barriers that women in the profession face is crucial not only to the women but also the entire profession and the public our justice system is intended to serve,” Lambert said. 

The Joint Commission on Women in the Profession was created in 2013 by the Supreme Court of Missouri, in conjunction with The Missouri Bar, to identify barriers women face and create resources to combat bias in the justice system and legal profession. To learn more about the commission and the resources it offers, click here.