Women’s Justice Awards 2026: Publisher’s letter, honorees

When the company that would later become Missouri Lawyers Media hosted its first Women’s Justice Awards 28 years ago, there were just a handful of honorees. At the time, it was still fairly unusual to see a female attorney litigating a case in court, and even more atypical for an attorney to argue a case before a female judge. But things were beginning to change for the better in 1998, and Missouri Lawyers Media took notice and created an event to honor the accomplishments of those few who had broken through the glass ceiling. 

Today, Athena Dickson leads The Missouri Bar as president, succeeding Shelly Dreyer. Several of the largest law firms in the state are managed or chaired by women, including Dentons US, Spencer Fane, Shook, Hardy & Bacon and Stinson. Judge Mary R. Russell recently completed her second term as chief justice of the Missouri Supreme Court, while Jennifer R. Growcock serves as chief judge of the Missouri Court of Appeals Southern District. 

So, while parity has not been realized in the profession, great strides have been made since we first started honoring women in the legal field.  

And now, 28 years after the first WJA recog­nition program, we continue to honor wom­en attorneys in what has become an annual tradition in the Missouri legal community.  

Frankie Muse Freeman headlined at that 1999 inaugural event as our first Woman of the Year. No one else could have filled the role better. An icon not only in Missouri but in the United States as a whole, she was a civil-rights attorney who was appointed in 1964 as the first woman on the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. She lived for more than a century while helping others through her compassion and commitment.  

In the 28 years of WJA, the hundreds of outstanding attorneys we have honored have paid it forward in the same way, reaching a hand back to the women who will follow them into the profession. Their contributions are varied, but they all share one characteristic: They are truly exceptional lawyers.  

Please enjoy the profiles of our 2026 honorees and join us in celebrating and recognizing the achievements of our WJA honorees. 

Sincerely,  

Susan A. Bocamazo 

Publisher