Missouri Lawyers Media announces 2026 Women’s Justice Awards honorees

Missouri Lawyers Media has named Betsy Ledgerwood, the first woman to serve as clerk of the Missouri Supreme Court, as the 2026 Woman of the Year. The Alton, Missouri, native began her career with the court in 2012 and was promoted to clerk in 2017. In addition to managing the internal operations of the state’s highest court, Ledgerwood supervises the office of state courts administrator, providing support for all lower courts in the state.

In addition to Woman of the Year, the 28th annual Women’s Justice Awards recognize the women who have put in the hours to make a difference in the legal field and their communities.

These women have a demonstrated track record of excellence, integrity and service that helps those impacted by the legal system. All have worked to improve the quality of justice across the state of Missouri.

The awards honor those working in several sectors of the legal community, including the bar, the bench, public office, business, academia and nonprofits.

A ceremony to honor these women will take place Thursday, April 16 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Ameristar Casino & Resort in St. Charles.

This year’s honorees include:

Corporate

Jennifer Hannah, Forvis Mazars

Meghan Lewis, Terracon

Christina Moore, Saint Louis University

Rachael Dockery, Missouri State University

General Practitioners

Joan Swartz, Law Offices of Joan M. Swartz

Shannon Dawson, Dawson Law Firm

Innovation & Technology

Jennifer Hoekel, Husch Blackwell

Shelli Clarkston, Spencer Fane

Jill Harper, Harper Evans Hilbrenner & Netemeyer

Leaders of Tomorrow

Mackenzie Collett, Washington University School of Law

Faith Whatley-Blaine, Saint Louis University School of Law

Reece Treasure, University of Missouri-Kansas City

Myuah Hamilton, University of Missouri School of Law

Litigation Practitioner

Jennifer Hackman, Shook, Hardy & Bacon

Lucy Malone, Wagstaff & Cartmell

Ellen Bruntrager, Blitz, Bardgett & Deutsch

Jenifer Snow, Brown & Crouppen

Bridgette Fu, Brinker & Doyen

Rebecca McLaughlin, Dowd Bennett

Kate Ledden, Husch Blackwell

Mary Simon, Simon Law

Sophie Zavaglia, SWMW Law

Anne Lageson, Paule Camazine & Blumenthal

Summer Davidson, Langdon & Emison

Heidi Doerhoff Vollet, Cook, Vetter, Doerhoff & Landwehr

Lisa Fuller-Reisinger, Stange Law Firm

Cathleen DeWitt, Onder Law

Kimberly Gray, Cordell & Cordell

Danielle Uzelac, Franke Schultz & Mullen

Erin Vernon, Baldwin & Vernon Trial Attorneys

Brianna Cowell, Foulston Siefkin

Pro Bono

Maysa Daoud, Husch Blackwell

Dedra Moore, Brown & James

Mary Olson, Shook, Hardy & Bacon

Public Service

Mary Hirsch, Missouri State Public Defender

Judge Elizabeth Hogan, 22nd Judicial Circuit

Judge Mary Elizabeth Ott, St. Louis County Circuit Court

Nandi Person, Missouri State Assistance Attorney General’s Office

Melissa Price-Smith, St. Louis County Prosecutor’s Office

Judge Julianne Hand, 23rd Judicial Circuit

Kelly King, former Missouri Deputy Attorney General

Katherine Kettler, Legal Aid of Western Missouri

Melesa Johnson, Jackson County Prosecutor

Amy Boxx, Barry County Prosecuting Attorney

Jacqueline Ledezma-Ruelas, Greene County Prosecutor’s Office

Judge Kirsten Poppen, 31st Judicial Circuit

Nanci McCarthy, Federal Public Defender Eastern District of Missouri

Transactional

Sherry Dreisewerd, Spencer Fane

Michele Kloeppel, Thompson Coburn

Kelly Spann, FortmanSpann Law Firm

Kristy Bourgeois, Sandberg Phoenix

Amanda Yoder, Lathrop GPM

Kamillia Scott, Dentons

Lillian Sweeney, Neale Newman

Mentor

Courtney Green, The Center for Family Law

C.J. Larkin, Miles Mediation & Arbitration

Judge Ellen Levy, 21st Judicial Circuit Court

Michele O’Malley, Sandberg Phoenix

Erica Perkin, Perkin Law Firm

Charity Elmer, Cox Health

Special Service

Rachel Blankenship, Missouri Kansas Queer Law

Jennifer Steinmeyer, Lexitas

Sara Schuett, Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys and Missouri Trial Lawyers Care

Carol Davidson, Latitude

Woman of the year

Betsy Ledgerwood, Clerk of the Court, Missouri Supreme Court