Honoring women who make a difference

Here are this year’s winners, click on their name for more:

Woman of the Year

Recognizing that woman who truly stands out in making an extraordinary difference in improving the quality of justice or exemplifying the highest ideals of the legal profession.

Audrey Fleissig, U.S. District Judge, St. Louis

Public Service Practitioner Award

Awarded to female government and nonprofit lawyers who improve the quality of the justice system or contribute to the betterment of the legal profession.

Katherine Wessling, Crime Victim Advocacy Center, St. Louis

Lara Webb Fors, Greene County Prosecutor’s Office and Springfield Regional Prosecutors’ Child Support Office

Jane Brown, U.S. Attorney’s Office, Kansas City

Public Official Award

Awarded to female judges and other public service officials whose service has contributed to improving the quality of the justice system or to the betterment of the legal profession.

Lisa Van Amburg, Missouri Court of Appeals Eastern District

Annette Slack, Executive Director of Community Empowerment and Diversity, St. Louis County

Janette Bleau, Christian County Prosecutor’s Office, Ozark

Becky Borthwick, Springfield Municipal Court

Lisa White Hardwick, Missouri Court of Appeals Western District

Business Practitioner Award

Awarded to female business practitioners who fulfill the ideals of leadership, professionalism and a passion for improving the quality of the justice system or contributing to the betterment of the legal profession.

Sara Neill, Capes Sokol, St. Louis

Sara Stock, Khazaeli Wyrsch Stock, St. Louis

Pascale Henn, Business Law Advisors, Lenexa, Kansas

Litigation Practitioner Award

Awarded to female litigators who demonstrate leadership, professionalism and a passion for improving the quality of the justice system or contributing to the betterment of the profession.

Irene Marusic, Brown & James, St. Louis

Mary Bonacorsi, Thompson Coburn, St. Louis

Debbie Champion, Rynearson, Suess, Schnurbusch & Champion, St. Louis

Donna Harper, Sedey Harper Westhoff, St. Louis

Melanie Keeney, Tueth Keeney Cooper Mohan Jackstadt, St. Louis

Patricia Shilling, Styron & Shilling, Ozark

Tammy Glick, Levy Craig Law Firm, Kansas City

Melanie Morgan, Morgan Pilate, Kansas City

Enterprise Award

Awarded to women in a business setting, be they entrepreneurs, executives, corporate counsel, or other business professionals, for their contributions to improving the quality of the justice system or to the betterment of the legal profession.

Julie Immer, Panera LLC, St. Louis

Jenny Schwendemann, Husch Blackwell, St. Louis

Sally Thieman, Saint Luke’s Health System, Kansas City

Citizenship Award

Generally, though not necessarily, awarded to female non-lawyers who have made significant contributions to improving the quality of justice in the community.

Karen Kalish, Estelle W. & Karen S. Kalish Foundation, St. Louis

Kate Nolen Proffitt, Jackson County CASA, Kansas City

Gail Smart, Well of Life Food Pantry, Springfield

Tishaura Jones, Treasurer, City of St. Louis

Legal Scholar Award

Awarded to women faculty members or administrators at Missouri law schools for work on behalf of the justice system, through their research or scholarship or through teaching and inspiring others.

Jacqueline Kutnik-Bauder, Saint Louis University School of Law

Geetha Rao Sant, Washington University School of Law

Julie Cheslik, University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law

Melody Daily, University of Missouri School of Law

Rising Star Award

Awarded to female lawyers 40 years old and younger or within the first 10 years of practice who have already made a difference in the justice system or the profession and who appear on a path toward even greater accomplishment.

Jessica Agnelly, Wendt Goss, Kansas City

Heather Bub, SmithAmundsen, St. Louis

Jessica Mendez, Armstrong Teasdale, St. Louis

Mara Lahnar, Sandberg Phoenix & von Gontard, St. Louis

Anne-Marie Brockland, The Simon Law Firm, St. Louis

Stephanie Bullard, Missouri Public Defender’s Office, Springfield

Amanda Dumey, Legal Services of Southern Missouri, Springfield

Ashley Schuette, Assistant General Counsel, CoxHealth, Springfield

Nicole Fisher, Fisher Law, Kansas City

Leaders of Tomorrow Award

Awarded to women law students who demonstrate leadership, professionalism and a passion for making a difference in the justice system or the legal profession.

Eleanor Gourley, Washington University School of Law

Tamar Hodges, University of Missouri School of Law

Mari Katherine Webb, Saint Louis University School of Law

Mary Kate Bird, University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law