On Sept. 21, 2016, two Missouri lawyers were recognized for their outstanding professionalism and exceptional degree of competency, integrity and civility in both professional and civic activities.
Spencer J. Brown and Bill L. Thompson each received a Purcell Professionalism Award at The Missouri Bar Foundation and Public Service Awards Luncheon during The Missouri Bar’s 2016 Annual Meeting at the Lodge of Four Seasons in Lake Ozark.
Brown, a partner with Deacy & Deacy in Kansas City, concentrates his work in the area of civil litigation, including all types of complex litigation. He is active in numerous professional memberships and regularly addresses trial practice seminars and workshops.
“The trial practice can be a contentious,” Brown said in an interview about the award. “It’s based almost on contention and advocacy, and so you have to learn, as I believe, that you can be effective without being offensive, and so that’s what I have tried to do.”
Thompson, clerk of the Supreme Court of Missouri, is completing 41 years of public service to the state of Missouri. He is active in The Missouri Bar and, among other numerous roles, has served for nearly 30 years as a faculty member for the state’s appellate forum and judicial college, principally speaking about recent legislation and rules changes.
In an interview about the Purcell Professionalism Award, Thompson offered advice to new lawyers: “Find a mentor. It’s the most important thing. Society as a whole maybe is a little cruder than it used to be, but look for good examples, follow the good examples and do it yourself.”
Click here for footage of Brown and Thompson discussing their work.
