The Mizzou Alumni Association has announced the 2023 winners of the Faculty and Alumni Awards. Among the recipients, three Mizzou Law alumni have been recognized with awards, Ray Klinginsmith, ’65, John Shaw, ’77, and Benjamin Thomas, ’73. First celebrated in 1968, the Faculty and Alumni Awards highlight the contributions of exceptional individuals to the University’s growth and core mission, through their…
Category: Alumni Spotlight ⋅ Page 2
Alumni Spotlight — Meet Phelan Simpkins
Anyone who’s been through the law school application process knows it can be a daunting task. From choosing when and how to study for the LSAT to crafting the perfect personal statement, it can be confusing and hectic even for the most qualified applicants. First-generation students face an even greater challenge of going through this process without a close family…
LLM Alumni Spotlight — Flavia Fragale
In the United States, it’s nearly impossible to imagine becoming a judge before turning 25 years old. In Brazil, moving from law school directly to a judgeship is fairly common. For Flavia Fragale, LLM ‘05, ‘19, she became a judge at just 24. After growing up in Vitória, Brazil, she was admitted to a law program at the University of…
Alumni Spotlight– Meet Judge-Elect Kayla Jackson-Williams
By Anna Sago With local and midterm elections coming up soon, the unopposed candidate for associate circuit judge in Boone County is already clear. When elected this November, Judge-Elect Kayla Jackson-Williams, an alumna of Mizzou Law, ‘16, will be the first Black Boone County judge in its more than 200-year history. “I didn’t realize how monumental that would be,” said…
LLM Alumni Spotlight — Brian Pappas
For a man who never imagined a career in higher education, Brian Pappas, LLM ’08, has managed to reach the pinnacle of legal education. Stepping into the deanship of the North Dakota School of Law in July, Pappas’ journey to this level of leadership began with his own legal education. After earning his JD from Wayne State University, Pappas worked…
LLM Alumni Spotlight — Donna Pavlick
In 1999, Donna Pavlick was at a crossroads. The health care company she managed in Springfield, Missouri had just been sold and her position eliminated. Soon after, her husband, who worked at the University of Missouri, told her about a new degree program just announced by Mizzou Law — an LLM in dispute resolution. “Before the LLM program, I was…
Four Mizzou Law Alumni Honored with Missouri Bar Awards
Four Mizzou Law alumni have been honored with Missouri Bar awards during the 2022 Missouri Bar Annual Meeting in Springfield, Missouri. Dudley McCarter, ’75 W. Dudley McCarter earned the 2022 Missouri Bar President’s Award for his commitment to educating lawyers through his Journal of The Missouri Bar column. Given by the president of The Missouri Bar, the annual award recognizes…
Mizzou Law Alumni Now Hold All Chief Judge Seats in Missouri Appellate Courts
This summer, the judges of the Missouri Court of Appeals, Western District, elected Hon. Gary D. Witt, ’90, as chief judge, and the Eastern District judges elected Hon. Michael E. Gardner, ’10, to serve as chief judge. Both began their terms July 1. The Hon. Jack Goodman, ’98, began his term as chief judge for the Southern District on June…
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…
Mizzou Law LLM Student/Alumna Brings Legacy of Advocacy to the Classroom
Elizabeth Kaganda, who earned her LLM in dispute resolution from Mizzou Law and is currently pursuing an LLM in American law at Mizzou Law, also teaches Swahili at Mizzou. Read this great story about Elizabeth in the Columbia Missourian:…