Bay becomes ABA president-elect

Bill Bay, a partner with the St. Louis office of Thompson Coburn, is now president-elect of the American Bar Association.

Bay will assume the role of ABA president in August 2024 at the conclusion of the term of Mary L. Smith, who became ABA president on Aug. 8.

“It is a great honor and privilege to follow in the footsteps of so many extraordinary leaders,” Bay said in a press release. “It is also a humbling experience to be chosen for leadership in these times of challenge and change. Now more than ever, lawyers need the American Bar Association. The ABA is a place where every lawyer can find a home, value, worth and fulfillment. I look forward to working with President Mary Smith, our volunteers and staff on this great adventure as we prepare for an exciting future for our association and profession.”

Bay has been a member of the ABA House of Delegates for more than 20 years and has served on numerous committees. He is also a fellow in the American Bar Foundation.

In Missouri, Bay is a past president of the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis and a past member of The Missouri Bar Board of Governors, as well as a fellow of The Missouri Bar Foundation. He currently co-chairs the Missouri Supreme Court’s Commission on Racial and Ethnic Fairness.