Hon. Joseph P. Whyte receives MOLAP’s 2026 James T. Britt Memorial Award

Hon. Joseph P. Whyte received this year’s James T. Britt Memorial Award in recognition of his work to advance the cause of relief and recovery for impaired lawyers and his pioneering contributions to the overall well-being of lawyers in Missouri.

The Missouri Lawyers’ Assistance Program presented the award during its luncheon on Oct. 30 at The Missouri Bar Center in Jefferson City.

Whyte is a circuit judge for the 22nd Judicial Circuit Court, serving in the family court and motions and equity divisions. He previously worked in private practice for 26 years and was an assistant attorney general before that.

Whyte said receiving the award is “humbling” since there are many lawyers who are helping their colleagues without any recognition. He said he received help from a lawyer volunteering through MOLAP when he needed to address a drinking problem.

“That was at the very beginning of my recovery journey, and I am convinced that I could not have achieved long-term sobriety without that help,” he said. “I have tried to repay that in some small way by helping one lawyer at a time, one-on-one, and by sharing my recovery story when asked.”

He encouraged lawyers to never be afraid to ask for help.

“People want to help, and they can’t help if you don’t ask,” he added.

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.