Judges Mason-White, Van Amburg, Walker recognized for judicial excellence
Hon. Tracey A. Mason-White (posthumous), Hon. Lisa S. Van Amburg, and Hon. Cotton Walker will be honored with The Missouri Bar’s 2025 Theodore M. McMillian Judicial Excellence Awards for their exceptional work in the judiciary.
Established by The Missouri Bar Board of Governors in 2004, the awards recognize judges who have inspired others of the judiciary through their integrity and leadership to help advance the administration of justice and provide outstanding public and community services to Missouri residents.
Mason-White
Mason-White, of Milan, will receive this year’s award posthumously. A graduate of the University of Denver School of Law, Mason-White practiced law in Milan for several years before serving as associate circuit judge for 12 years. She also served on The Missouri Bar Board of Governors. She died on Dec. 15, 2024.
Shelly Dreyer, 2024-2025 Missouri Bar president, said it was both “an honor and a bittersweet moment” to present the McMillian award posthumously to Mason-White.
“Those of us who served alongside Judge Mason-White on our Board of Governors knew her as an exceptional jurist with remarkable character who brought warmth, wisdom, and genuine care to everything she did,” Dreyer said. “Her dedication to justice and service to the bar and the people of Missouri will never be forgotten.”
Van Amburg
A graduate of the Saint Louis University School of Law, Van Amburg was a judge on the Missouri Court of Appeals-Eastern District and the 22nd Judicial Circuit before retiring in 2018. Prior to her time on the bench, she focused on labor and employment law for 27 years. She helped found the first all-female law firm in St. Louis — Anderson, Everett Sedey, and Van Amburg — and later joined the law firms of Schuchat, Cook and Werner and Van Amburg, Chackes, Carlson, and Spritzer.
Van Amburg, of Brooklyn, New York, was an adjunct professor at the Saint Louis University School of Law and currently is a mediator and arbitrator for Lexitas alternate dispute resolution services.
Van Amburg says her passion for the law and serving Missourians at both the trial and appellate court levels stemmed from her commitment to the Rule of Law. She enjoyed explaining in oral arguments the importance of democratic principles and describing to jurors how their public service helped “the wheels of justice.”
She added she was honored to be recognized for her contributions to the administration of justice.
“I am so humbled to receive this award, as it is a gift to be honored and remembered by Missouri Bar colleagues a good seven years beyond retirement,” Van Amburg said.
Van Amburg’s advice for lawyers: Don’t just talk — listen.
“It is equally, if not more important and impactful, to listen carefully to what your partners, your clients, your opponents, your jurors, the witnesses, and your judges are saying, or not saying,” she said. “Listening is a difficult skill to master, because as lawyers, we are trained and encouraged to jump in and advocate. But I guarantee that sharpening your listening skills will result in good legal service to your client.”
Walker
A graduate of the University of Missouri School of Law, Walker is the circuit judge for the 19th Judicial Circuit, presiding over Cole County’s treatment courts and serving as the supervising judge for the pre-trial services program. Walker, of Jefferson City, previously served as associate circuit judge for the 19th Judicial Circuit, municipal judge for Jefferson City, and part-time or interim municipal judge for Russellville, Lohman, and Holts Summit. Prior to the bench, he was city prosecutor for Jefferson City.
Walker has held several leadership roles in the judiciary, including president of the Missouri Municipal & Associate Circuit Judges Association, chair of the Trial Judge Focus Group, and member of the Office of State Courts Administrator’s Circuit Court Budget Committee, Change Management Oversight Team, and Combatting Human Trafficking and Domestic Violence Commission. He has also been faculty for the Missouri Judicial College and New Judge Orientation.
Walker said receiving the McMillian award is “as inspiring as it is humbling.” He added he strives to “live and teach the principles of our constitutions, oath, and the code of judicial conduct.”
“An independent, fair, and impartial judiciary is indispensable to our system of justice,” he said. “You can find that statement, something close to it, or certainly its foundation in state judicial codes and constitutions as well as the U.S. Constitution. The work to assure our independent judiciary remains indispensable and is seen as fair is incumbent upon all of us — judges and lawyers.”
He encouraged new and young lawyers to always remember the Preamble to the Rules of Professional Conduct: “Lawyers play a vital role in the preservation of society.”
“Never lose sight of the weight and worth of that calling,” he said. “Remember your role. Honor your oath. Let it shape not only your work, but your character — guiding every decision, every interaction, and every step you take in service to justice and to others.”
The McMillian awards will be presented in Branson during the Annual Meeting of The Missouri Bar and Judicial Conference, Sept. 17-19.
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.