In brief: January-February 2025

Look out for weekly legislative updates 

During the legislative session, The Missouri Bar’s government relations staff prepare a regular update on activities in the Missouri Legislature that may impact lawyers and their practices or be of interest to legal professionals. Keep an eye out for the Friday updates at News.MoBar.org.

Words of well-being: “What does well-being look like for you as a legal professional?” 

Hon. William J. Gust, probate commissioner for the 21st Judicial Circuit (St. Louis County), shared practices he has implemented as a legal professional to improve his physical and mental well-being. 

“Exercise is one such practice as I’ve found that it helps calm my mind and makes me a generally more pleasant person to interact with. Sometimes this practice can be as simple as a lunchtime walk around the block or a few flights of stairs in between hearings. 

“Another mostly daily practice I use to improve my well-being is quiet time. Most days I try to shut my door for 10-15 minutes before I start working and focus on my breath. This helps center and prepare me for my day. Sometimes, if I know I have a particularly challenging hearing, I will take 10-15 minutes before the hearing as a second bonus quiet time. I will also use this technique during a break on some of the longer, more contested trials I have. This quiet time is a way to admit to myself that the job can be difficult and sometimes I need to give myself a mental reset.”

Mark your calendar for Missouri Bar 2025 conferences 

These multi-day conferences provide an opportunity for lawyers to network with and learn from other legal professionals, all while obtaining continuing legal education hours. 

– MOSOLO Small Firm Conference – June 5-7 at Osage Beach 
– Bernard Edelman DWI Law & Science Seminar – July 24- 25 at Lake Ozark 
– Annual Family Law Conference – Aug. 14-16 in Branson 
– Annual Meeting of The Missouri Bar and Missouri Judicial Conference – Sept. 17-19 in Branson 
– Estate, Trust & Elder Law Institute – Nov. 6-7 in St. Louis 

Visit MoBarCLE.org for updates on the conferences as the year progresses.

Tech tip: Embrace AI for legal research and routine tasks 

The success of the modern law firm depends significantly on efficiency and output. Many legal research products are now incorporating artificial intelligence to help lawyers through the tedious portions of tasks. Make ethical considerations, though — ensuring the type of AI is appropriate for your law firm to use, client confidentiality will be maintained, you don’t solely rely on content created by a generative AI platform or service, and you verify its accuracy. 

For more information about ethical considerations regarding generative AI, read the Office of Legal Ethics Counsel and Advisory Committee of the Supreme Court of Missouri’s informal opinion 2024-11.

MoBar memory 

Former President Harry S. Truman was made an honorary member of the Kansas City Bar Association on Feb. 6, 1958. Shown with Truman at the meeting are from left: Harry Gershenson, president of The Missouri Bar; Truman; Robert A. Schroeder, president of the Kansas City Bar Association; and Charles S. Rhyne, president of the American Bar Association.

Register for updated guardian ad litem programming 

Complete your training requirement of GAL Standard 14.0 by attending the bar’s updated guardian ad litem CLE programs. The programs cover an array of topics, including:

– review of the basic functions of a GAL;  
– inspiring words about the importance of GALs in the family court system; 
– developmental perspectives on communicating with a child about their best interests; 
– guidance on how to interview children and present recommendations to the court; and 
– insight on successfully navigating new cultural territory.

Register for three-hour or eight-hour GAL programs at MoBarCLE.org.

Save the date

Missouri Bar Board of Governors meeting – March 6-7, Jefferson City 

Show Me the Constitution – April 7, Columbia 

Spring Committee Meetings – April 28-May 2, virtual