Meet your 2021-22 YLS Council Leadership
The Missouri Bar’s Young Lawyers’ Section Council works hard to enhance the professional growth of new and recently admitted lawyers. From sponsoring civics activities and helping develop educational programs to producing informative legal guides for Missouri citizens, YLS is a resource for new lawyers and for people across the state. Any Missouri lawyer aged 36 or less, or those who have been in practice five years or less, are automatically members of the section.
Chair: Chris Dandurand
Chris Dandurand is a partner at The Gorny Law Firm in Kansas City. He represents injured people and their family members in personal injury and medical malpractice cases. He was first elected to YLS in 2016 after spending a year in The Missouri Bar Leadership Academy.
Dandurand said his goal is to build on the council’s existing work.
“During my tenure as a YLS leader, I hope to continue evolving the section’s committees to better serve young lawyers all across the state.”
One thing you might not know about our new YLS Council Chair– Dandurand played guitar in a punk rock band in high school.
Chair-Elect: Elizabeth Fax
Elizabeth Kiesewetter Fax graduated from the University of Missouri School of Law in 2015. She is a senior assistant prosecuting attorney at the Greene County Prosecuting Attorney’s office in the persons unit. Her caseload includes child sexual abuse, child physical abuse, sexual assault, domestic assault, violations of orders of protection, harassment, stalking, and elder abuse. She has been at the prosecutor’s office for six years.
Fax has been involved with YLS since 2018 as a representative for District 11 and has a strong vision for the council moving forward.
“I hope to focus on our community outreach programs and prioritizing meaningful and creative community service projects since we are still in the pandemic.”
A fun fact about Fax is that she can make the perfect gooey butter cake.
Secretary | Treasurer: Cort VanOstran
Cort VanOstran earned his undergraduate degree from Harvard University and his law degree from Washington University in St. Louis. He began his legal career at Shook, Hardy and Bacon in Kansas City but later clerked for two district judges on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri.
Since 2016, VanOstran has been an associate attorney at Gray, Ritter & Graham, P.C., while also serving in several faculty roles at Washington University in St. Louis. He briefly served on the YLS Council in 2016, before returning to the Council last year representing St. Louis City (District 9).
"YLS is the future of the bar, and it is a bright future,” says VanOstran. “YLS's membership is diverse and dedicated to fulfilling our professional obligations in both our careers and our communities."
An entertaining fact about VanOstran is that he once lent Alec Baldwin his Wifi login credentials.
YLS sponsors a wide variety of public service projects and CLE programs across Missouri which are focused on providing support and encouragement to newly admitted lawyers. For more information on YLS activities or resources, click here.