Lauren Tucker McCubbin sworn in as 2022-23 Missouri Bar President
Reminds lawyer, judges that 'United, we flourish' when it comes to advancing justice
Lauren Tucker McCubbin, with Polsinelli in Kansas City, was sworn in as 2022-23 president of The Missouri Bar on Sept. 15 at the state bar's annual meeting, held at the University Plaza Hotel and Convention Center in Springfield. Hon. Patricia Breckenridge, of the Supreme Court of Missouri, administered the Oath of Office. Tucker McCubbin was elected to the position, as were other officers, by the Board of Governors the previous day.
Tucker McCubbin delivered the following remarks during the opening luncheon of the joint annual meeting of The Missouri Bar and the Judicial Conference of Missouri following her Oath of Office. View the video or read the full text below.
"E Pluribus Unum. Out of many, one.
Until 1956, this was the official motto of the United States. It is my hope today that you will see how each of us – Missouri’s lawyers – can flourish as we celebrate both the “many” and the “one” in our Missouri Bar.
We are a robust body of 30,750 lawyers – each with individual backstories, practices, and perspectives. Our Board of Governors is comprised of 45 lawyers with widely varying experiences and ideas. One of the things I love most about serving in leadership of The Missouri Bar is that, together, we serve all our members. We value each other’s unique contributions as we work toward our unified goal of helping Missouri lawyers even better serve their clients and communities, while also improving the profession, the law, and the administration of justice on behalf of all Missourians.
The pandemic has made many things clear: we are all connected, we need each other, we can accomplish difficult tasks, and we are at our best when we work together toward a common goal.
Now that we have more opportunities to gather safely, we are reminded how valuable it is to have many voices contributing toward a collective goal.
You, as Missouri lawyers are part of a special community. You are uniquely qualified to help others. You ensure access to justice. You help people avoid disagreements or resolve them. You help businesses grow and help protect consumers from unfair or unsafe practices. You help Missourians understand how our justice system works and empower them to participate in it. In doing this, we are further bonded by our code of professional conduct and the social contract we entered when we took our oath.
While our backgrounds, practices, and experiences vary widely – which is one of our greatest strengths – we are united in our ability and commitment to justice, civic education, and service. And we can make the most change and achieve the best results by working together.
United, we flourish.
I urge you to embrace these words as you connect with long-time peers and – more importantly – meet and learn from new friends here annual meeting.
And long after tomorrow’s event, our bar – as it has since 1944 - will continue to help us flourish together by providing us and our communities with resources, points of connection, support, and education.
I am honored to serve as president of this wonderful organization, and I look forward to all the good we can and will continue to do together to improve the lives of our fellow Missourians."
Tucker McCubbin also recognized John Grimm for his service as the 2021-22 president of The Missouri Bar. Before introducing the chief justice of the Supreme Court of Missouri for his address, she took a moment of personal privilege to thank her family, fellow lawyers at Polsinelli, and members of The Missouri Bar's Board of Governors.
Learn more about the leadership of The Missouri Bar, including its officers, here.