This year, the Lawyers Association of St. Louis and the Mound City Bar Association once again came together to celebrate their shared legacy, impact, and progress at the 31st Annual Black History Month Dinner, named in honor of trailblazing jurist Judge Theodore McMillian. The evening’s keynote speaker, Dean Twinette L. Johnson, J.D., Ph.D., of Saint Louis University School of Law, delivered an inspiring address centered on a theme that resonates far beyond the legal community: the challenges and power of being a “first.” The setting for the event, the 21C Museum Hotel in downtown St. Louis, just blocks from the law school, added a bit of cultural impact, as displayed all around the meeting room was themed artwork from, “The Future is Female,” highlighting the impact through art of the “Second Wave Women’s Movement” on today’s cultural landscape while examining contemporary definitions of female identity and experience.
Dean Johnson, who herself celebrates a number of firsts (the first woman and first African-American dean of SLU Law), reflected candidly and powerfully on what it means to enter spaces where others may not expect you. Drawing from personal experience and the historical arc of civil rights in the law, she celebrated not only the legacy of Judge McMillian as a pioneer in the Missouri legal community and judiciary, but also the responsibility shared by all legal professionals to create new pathways for those who will follow.
Dean Johnson began by acknowledging the magnitude of speaking at an event named for a man of such “dignity, brilliance, and unwavering commitment to justice.” Judge McMillian was not only a legal trailblazer but a figure whose mere presence on the bench expanded the vision of what was possible for others. Dean Johnson impressed upon the crowd that being a “first” carries weight, whether it’s the first in your family to go to college, the first to become a lawyer, or the first to enter a courtroom where people may not expect to see someone who looks like you. That position can be isolating, but it can also be transformative.
The story of being first is not just a story of individual achievement, “it is a story of collective progress,” she shared. “It is a role that requires resilience, visibility, and the understanding that you are a steward of generations you may never meet.”
Drawing from her own professional journey and the legacy of legal legends in St. Louis, including former members and Award of Honor recipients Judge McMillian and the Hon. Clyde Cahill, along with the Hon. Evelyn Baker, Hon. Ronnie White, Hon. George Draper III, and Hon. Nannette Baker, Dean Johnson made the case that representation in law is not mere symbolism, it’s substance. Who sits on the bench, who argues the case, and who teaches in the classroom directly affects how laws are interpreted, whose harms are recognized, and what remedies are available. She reminded the audience that “the law is not neutral, it is shaped by those who practice it, interpret it, and teach it.” And with that shaping comes responsibility: not just to occupy space, but to **redefine it for others**.
In a poignant closing story, Dean Johnson recalled speaking to a group of middle school students about becoming a lawyer. She asked if any of the students gathered to hear her talk wanted to become a lawyer when they grew up. None raised their hands. Some said they wanted to be doctors, teachers, or hair stylists. When faced with that unexpected poll result, she pivoted: rather than talk about the law, she created a scenario involving hair stylists, who went to work one day and their rented studio space was unusable because of a broken water heater, resulting in canceled appointments. She asked them, “Who would you call to help you?” Read your lease, seek redress, right a wrong. Through this everyday example of unmet expectations and financial loss, the students organically arrived at the idea of how important it is in our system to be able to receive legal redress.
What began as a career day became something more profound: an invitation for those students, many of whom had never imagined themselves in courtrooms or law schools, to see possibility. “There is a student somewhere in this city who doesn’t yet know they will one day argue before a judge or draft legislation. They’re waiting for one of us to open their minds to that future.”
Dean Johnson’s remarks echoed Judge McMillian’s own belief, famously shared in tribute to Justice Thurgood Marshall, that diversity on the bench and in the profession brings sharper reasoning and fairer outcomes. As Dean Johnson said, “Black History Month is not merely a commemoration, it is an invitation to action.” It asks us what we will build, what we will dismantle, and what courage we will summon in the pursuit of justice.
In honoring Judge McMillian and celebrating voices like Dean Johnson’s, this year’s dinner reminded us that every generation has its “firsts” and every “first” can be the foundation for a more inclusive, equitable future.
About Dean Twinette Johnson:
Dean Johnson brings a deep commitment to legal education, diversity, and community engagement to her role as Dean of Saint Louis University School of Law. A graduate of the University of Iowa College of Law and the University of Michigan (Ph.D., Higher Education), she previously served as director of the Academic Success Program and has been a leader in supporting underrepresented students entering the legal profession. Her scholarship and service reflect her dedication to access, excellence, and transformation within the legal community. Read her full bio here: https://www.slu.edu/law/faculty/twinette-johnson.php
About the Lawyers Association and Mound City Bar:
To learn more about the Lawyers Association of St. Louis, the Mound City Bar Association, and their shared efforts to support diversity, equity, and excellence in the legal field, visit their websites or attend an upcoming event.
https://lawyersassociationofstlouis.org/
Let us continue to honor the legacy of those who came before by opening the door wider for those yet to come. Because, as Dean Johnson reminds us: “Your history is not a footnote, it’s a foundation.”