Gone the Influencer, Not the Influence

One of the five job offers I had coming out of law school was the one “everyone” wan­ted.  I turned it down.  Instead, I chose the job offer out of the five that paid the least.  That brought me to Springfield, Missouri and Ransom A. Ellis, Jr.  Why? Because he did exactly what I wanted to do (labor and employment law, rep­resenting management), he did it in a non-urban area (I did not want to go back to St. Louis, or to any other big city to practice law), and he had an impeccable professional repu­tation and was highly regarded…

LLM Alumna Spotlight — Sharanya Rao

After years in the legal field, Sharanya Rao, LLM ’03, decided she wanted to pursue a career path where she could help people gain clarity and fulfilment in their professional lives. Rao says pivoting from a career in law to a career in coaching was made possible in part by the time she spent within the Mizzou Law dispute resolution LLM program. “The LLM program gave me deep insights into what I really wanted to do and helped me carve my career as a leadership coach,” Rao said. “The foundation I received in the program in mindfulness and cross-cultural communication…

13 Mizzou Law Alumnae Honored with 2021 Women’s Justice Awards

Thirteen Mizzou Law alumnae were among the women honored by Missouri Lawyers Media with 2021 Women’s Justice Awards. Whittney Dunn, ’11, and Amy Moore Harris, ’10, were honored with the Corporate Award as women who serve as general or in-house counsel, advising businesses on complex legal matters. Ashley Benoist, ’12; Susan Brown Miles, ’00; Lauren Collins, ’13; Brenda Hamilton, ’90; Meghan Lewis, ’09; Camille Roe, ’12; and Megan Stumph-Turner, ’08; were honored with the Litigation Practitioner Award as women who have made their careers in the courtroom — criminal or…

LLM Alumna Spotlight — Tojan Rahhal

The fields of engineering and dispute resolution may not seem to be a natural combination. For Tojan Rahhal, ’20, however, the LLM in Dispute Resolution program at the University of Missouri School of Law was the perfect transition to prepare her for a leadership position in the engineering field. Now serving as CEO and President of Engineering World Health, Rahhal says that the LLM program inspired her to “think outside of the box,” and encouraged her to leverage her skillset to her current position. Rahhal first came to Mizzou for a position at the College of Engineering.  She had previously…

LLM Alumnus Spotlight — Sentebale Makara

Living in his home of Johannesburg, South Africa, Sentebale Makara, ’11, is enjoying a flourishing career as the director at the law firm Norton Rose Fulbright South Africa. He specializes in construction, engineering, mining and energy disputes with experience in arbitration procedures and alternative dispute resolution. Makara attributes much of his success to his time at Mizzou Law, where he earned his LLM in Dispute Resolution. “As a direct result of the opportunities and doors opened by the LLM program, I am today a qualified mediator,” Makara said. During his time at Mizzou, Makara said he gained confidence in his…

LLM Alumnus Spotlight — Jose Rodriguez

Nearly a decade ago, Jose Dario Rodriguez, LLM ’15, realized the importance of commercial relations and the need to use alternative mechanisms for dispute resolution. Now serving as legal counsel of international contractor China Harbour Engineering Company Ltd. in Panama, Rodriguez credits his move to Columbia, Missouri to learn at one of the top dispute resolution centers in the world with gaining those necessary skills and knowledge. “I chose the University of Missouri beyond any other school, after a long research time, finding that Mizzou Law is not only one of the top five dispute resolution programs in United States,…

Two Mizzou Law Alumna Honored by the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis

Lace Cline, ’15, and Tamar Hodges, ’17, were honored in September by the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis with Young Lawyers Division (YLD) Awards of Merit. The YLD program is an opportunity for local young lawyer organizations affiliated with the ABA Young Lawyers Division to submit their best projects for evaluation and recognition by a jury of their peers. The awards were presented at the association’s Law Day 2021.

Two Mizzou Law Alumni Honored by the Missouri Bar Foundation

Jeffrey Q. McCarther, ’09, and Jordan Force, ’09, were two of three named honorees of the Lon O. Hocker Award by the Missouri Bar Foundation. The Hocker Award is given annually to three lawyers under the age of 40 who: “exemplify the qualities of a trial lawyer, including showing professionalism, high ethical conduct, and quick wittedness in the courtroom.” To read more about the Horner Award, visit: https://news.mobar.org/horneyer-force-mccarther-recognized-as-exemplary-trial-lawyers/  

Class of 2021 honored on May 16

The Mizzou Law Class of 2021 participated in an in-person ceremony at the Hearnes Center on Sunday, May 16. Though the venue was a stark change from Jesse Auditorium, and social distancing eliminated the usual hooding ceremony, the enthusiasm of the graduates and their family and friends in the seats was not deterred. Congratulations to our newest Mizzou Law alumni! The ceremony was livestreamed and is available for viewing online.

Mizzou Law Alumna Judge Robin Ransom Appointed to Missouri Supreme Court

Governor Mike Parson appointed the Honorable Robin Ransom, ’91, as the next Judge of the Supreme Court of Missouri. She fills the vacancy created by the retirement of the Honorable Laura Denvir Stith in early March 2021. With the selection, Ransom becomes the first Black woman to serve on the state Supreme Court. Ransom also is the fifth woman to serve, joining Mary Rhodes Russell, ’83, and Patricia Breckenridge, ’77, on the bench. Stith and Ann Covington, ’77, previous female judges, are both retired. “Appointing a judge to the Supreme Court of Missouri is an important duty that I do…