Missouri Lawyers Media to honor 18 for diversity and inclusion initiatives

Missouri Lawyers Media will honor 18 attorneys, firms and legal professionals from around the state with its 2022 Diversity & Inclusion Awards for their work to support and advance those initiatives.

The awards recognize attorneys, judges, firms and organizations that are significantly advancing diversity, inclusion and the dignity of all people in Missouri’s legal profession and in communities in which exceptional legal work impacts justice for all.

A selection committee of statewide legal and bar association leaders worked with Missouri Lawyers Media to review nominations and select the honorees. Honorees will be celebrated during a virtual awards event scheduled for Aug. 17. Click here for tickets or other event information.

The 2022 class of honorees includes:

Ashley Benoist, Stanton Barton LLC, Senior Associate

Grace Colato Martinez, Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner, Associate

Willie Epps, Western District Federal Court, United States Magistrate Judge

Noah Garcia, Kansas City Southern Railway, Senior Corporate Counsel

Reginald L. Harris, Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner, Partner

Robin Jefferson Higgins, Webster University, Associate Professor and Chair

Alexandra Johnson, AJ Legal Services, Attorney

Candace Johnson, Carmody MacDonald, Associate

Arindam Kar, Polsinelli, Shareholder

Kayla Loveless, Husch Blackwell, Associate

David Mason, 22nd Judicial Circuit, Circuit Judge

Sandra Moore, Advantage Capital, Chief Impact Officer

Ronald Norwood, Lewis Rice, Member, DEI Committee Chair

Shoshanah Shanes, Lathrop GPM, Associate

Courtney Stirrat, Franke Schultz & Mullen, Partner

Stueve Siegel Hanson

Mikah Thompson, UMKC School of Law, Faculty Member

Paul Venker, Baker Sterchi Cowden & Rice, Senior Counsel