Joint Commission on Women in the Profession

Since the commission's inception in 2013, it has accomplished many advancements towards its mission.  Achievements of note include:

• Successfully advocated for a revision to the annual attorney enrollment form to include a voluntary check-box for gender, which helps facilitate analysis of women's representation in Missouri's legal profession. Current demographic information may be viewed here.

• Provided research and recommendations to the Missouri Office of Administration, Division of Personnel, advocating for amendments to 1 CSR 20-5.020 to expand family leave policy for state employees.

• Collaborated with the Women’s Foundation to provide research and recommendations to the Supreme Court of Missouri and The Missouri Bar advocating for paid parental leave for all judiciary and bar staff. Both bodies adopted policies providing six weeks’ paid leave. 

• Successfully advocated for lactation accommodation in state courthouses. Supreme Court Operating Rule 7.01.C.15 mandates lactation accommodations (i.e., break time and appropriate facilities) for court employees who are nursing mothers to pump at work under FLSA-compliant conditions.

• Successfully advocated for revisions to Supreme Court Rule 6.06 governing the return to active status to streamline the reactivation process and remove barriers to re-entry after a voluntary hiatus from practice.

• Issued the Report of The Missouri Joint Commission on Women in the Profession  in October 2015 which measured women's representation in various sectors of the legal profession in Missouri. 

• Hosted the program Blueprinting for Success, focusing on sponsorship, promotion, networking, and leadership, featuring national expert Debbie Epstein Henry. (2018)