Jefferson City, MO
This event is not open to the Press.
REGISTRATION NOW CLOSED
Join lawyer chapters and student chapters from across the state for our annual Missouri Chapters Conference!
Friday, February 20, 2026
The Missouri Capitol Building
201 W Capitol Ave.
Jefferson City, MO 65101
CONFERENCE PRICING
Student Members: $10
Members: $25
Non-Members: $50
CLE
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CLE Info
REGISTRATION DEADLINE AND REFUNDS
Registration will close at 5:00 p.m. on Monday, Feburary 16, 2026. This is also the deadline to receive a refund for a cancellation. No refunds will be given after the deadline has passed.
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8:15 a.m. - 8:45 a.m.
Registration & Breakfast
2026 Missouri Chapters Conference
State Treasurer’s Office, Room 208
The Missouri Capitol Building
201 W Capitol Ave.
Jefferson City, MO 65101
The Missouri Capitol Building
201 W Capitol Ave.
Jefferson City, MO 65101
9:00 a.m. - 9:10 a.m.
Welcome Remarks
2026 Missouri Chapters Conference
Description
Featuring:
- Hon. Alex Riley, Representative, District 134, Missouri House of Representatives
Speakers
9:10 a.m. - 9:40 a.m.
Keynote Address
2026 Missouri Chapters Conference
Description
Featuring:
- Hon. Catherine Hanaway, Attorney General, Missouri
Speakers
9:45 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
Panel 1: School Choice in America: Historical Discrimination, Legal Change, and Today’s Landscape
2026 Missouri Chapters Conference
Description
Featuring:
- Michael Bindas, Senior Attorney, Institute for Justice
- Susan Pendergrass, Director of Research, Show-Me Institute
- Karin Sweigart, Counsel, Dhillon Law Group
- Moderator: Jim Humphrey, Attorney at Law, James | Sobba LLC
Speakers
11:15 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Panel 2: Democracy in America: What Would Alexis de Tocqueville Say Today?
2026 Missouri Chapters Conference
Description
A reflection on Tocqueville’s classic observations about American democracy, considering which insights have held up, which have not, and what Tocqueville might say about today’s political and social climate.
Featuring:
- Bryce Beal, General Counsel, Missouri Senate Majority Caucus
- Prof. Frank Lovett, Professor of Political Science and Philosophy, and Director of Legal Studies, Washington University at St. Louis
- Hon. John P. Torbitzky, Judge, Missouri Court of Appeals - Eastern District
- Moderator: Caleb Hunt, Senior Associate, Husch Blackwell LLP
Speakers
12:30 p.m. - 1:15 p.m.
Lunch
2026 Missouri Chapters Conference
1:30 p.m. - 2:45 p.m.
Panel 3: The Bench, Newly Defined: Perspectives from Recently Seated District Judges
2026 Missouri Chapters Conference
Description
Featuring:
- Hon. Zachary Bluestone, Judge, Eastern District of Missouri
- Hon. Josh Divine, Judge, U.S. District Court, Eastern and Western Districts of Missouri
- Hon. Maria Lanahan, Judge, Eastern District of Missouri
- Hon. Cristian Stevens, Judge, Eastern District of Missouri
- Moderator: Barbara Smith Tyson, Partner and Co-Chair, Appellate and Supreme Court Group, Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner
Speakers
2:45 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Closing Remarks
Jefferson City, MO
