Meet your new Board of Governors: Michael Cherba, District 9

Michael Cherba was recently elected to represent District 9 (St. Louis County) on The Missouri Bar Board of Governors. The board is comprised of 45 lawyers elected by their peers to represent their respective geographical areas.

Cherba is a lawyer at Riezman Berger, P.C., practicing in commercial litigation, administrative law-professional licensing, contested probate litigation, and guardianships and conservatorships. He graduated from the Washington University School of Law.

Cherba answered the following questions to help his constituents get to know him.

What made you interested in serving on the Board of Governors?

“I have always been drawn to public service opportunities, so I take very seriously our duty as lawyers to give back to our communities through service of this sort. About 10 years ago, I served a term on the YLS Council, which was a good introduction to the role of the Board of Governors. In addition, I look forward to doing the work to represent the interests of lawyers in St. Louis County by aiding efforts to achieve equal access to justice, defending against attacks on the Missouri Non-Partisan Court Plan, in thoughtful deliberation regarding important issues such as fiscal responsibility and attorney wellness, and through advocacy with the Missouri Legislature.”

What part of being on the board are you most excited about?

“This may sound corny, but I am genuinely looking forward to digging in and doing the work of the board, while getting to know my fellow board members in the process.”

What do you want the lawyers you represent to know?

“I’m here to represent you, so I would like to encourage my fellow lawyers to reach out if you have any questions or suggestions regarding how we as a board address a situation, or if you have a particular concern.”

What do you value most about The Missouri Bar and its mission?

“We are very lucky that we practice in a state with a unified bar that provides great services to all of us. The Missouri Bar appears to me to do a great job of providing valuable services to us, such as the Missouri Lawyers’ Assistance Program (MOLAP), tons of continuing education opportunities, and professional/practice advice. I also love the civics education efforts the bar provides to Missouri citizens.”

Why did you want to become a lawyer?

“Like many other lawyers I have spoken with over the years, I intended to become a doctor or do something else in the hard sciences or engineering until I was in college. I even promised my parents I would never become a lawyer. However, based upon my interests and after talking with several lawyers, this career seemed like the best fit to enable me to help people and do work that made sense to me.”

Is there anything else you would like members of the bar to know about you?

“I will strive to represent you and your interests as lawyers thoughtfully and ethically during my time on the Board of Governors of The Missouri Bar. Please feel free to contact me if there is something I can do to help.”

Learn more about the Board of Governors here.