JEFFERSON CITY, Mo.  – The Supreme Court of Missouri has established a Commission on Racial and Ethnic Fairness, Chief Justice Patricia Breckenridge announced Thursday during her address to lawyers and judges gathered in St. Louis for the joint annual meeting of The Missouri Bar and the Judicial Conference of Missouri. Breckenridge said in her address:

We all need to do everything we can to ensure that every individual in every case in our system of justice is treated with respect and has his or her case adjudicated fairly and impartially according to the law. Until that is true in 100 percent of our courts, we cannot rest. Even a perception of justice denied anywhere should concern us all, no matter who or where we are.

“To that end, I am pleased to announce the Supreme Court has established a Commission on Racial and Ethnic Fairness. Judge George Draper and Missouri Bar President Reuben Shelton have been instrumental and inspirational in forming the commission and will serve as liaisons. The commission is made up of attorneys and judges representing diverse experiences and viewpoints from across the state. 

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said: “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”

Today – whether you are from St. Louis County or Nevada, Missouri, whether you practice in the juvenile division or are working to have your municipal case disposed, whether you are a member of one of Missouri’s Asian or Hispanic bar associations or you represent ethnically diverse clients in any part of the state – no matter who you are, where you live or what kind of law you practice, we all must stand together in ensuring the culture of our profession is one that earns public trust and confidence.

The commission will focus its study on six areas – the judicial system generally, the civil justice system, the criminal justice system, the juvenile justice system, the municipal justice system and the practice of law – to identify solutions and make recommendations for improvement. Together, the commission members will engage with the public in examining and reviewing current practices and recommending measures to help assure fairness, impartiality, equal access and full participation for racial and ethnic minorities in the judicial process and in the practice of law.

The order establishing the commission is attached.

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