Missouri Lawyers Media named Judge Lisa White Hardwick of the Missouri Court of Appeals Western District as its 2022 Woman of the Year.

The Woman of the Year award honors a woman who stands out in making an extraordinary difference to improve the quality of justice.

Hardwick, who was named to the Western District in 2001, is the longest serving current member of the Kansas City-based appellate court. 

Before joining the appellate bench, Hardwick was a trial judge in Jackson County. She previously practiced law with the law firm of Shook, Hardy & Bacon for 15 years and was an elected member of the Jackson County Legislature from 1993 to 2000. 

She is the first Black woman appointed to any of the Court of Appeals’ three districts and is currently the only Black judge on the Western District.  

Hardwick leads this year’s list of 51 honorees, which comprises judges, in-house counsel, legal scholars and private practitioners from around the state, and outstanding students at Missouri law schools.

The 24th annual Women’s Justice Awards event is set for May 12 at the Four Seasons Hotel in St. Louis. Winners also will be profiled in a special section of Missouri Lawyers Weekly.