The Center for Family Law Honored by Legal Services of Eastern Missouri
We are proud to share that the Center for Family Law has received the Gerald R. Ortbals Law Practice Award at the 2026 For the Common Good Awards, presented by Legal Services of Eastern Missouri (LSEM). The ceremony was held in August at the Ritz-Carlton, bringing together the region's legal community to celebrate outstanding contributions to access to justice.
A Firm-Wide Commitment to Pro Bono Service
The Ortbals Award recognizes The Center for Family Law's longstanding dedication to pro bono service. The firm's attorneys have consistently been among LSEM's most active, reliable, and supportive partners for family law referrals.
Family law cases are rarely simple. They often sit at the intersection of a client's safety, stability, and the wellbeing of their family. The attorneys who take on this work do so knowing the stakes are personal and the outcomes matter deeply to the people they represent.
While LSEM has previously honored individual attorneys from the firm for their pro bono contributions, this year's award is different: it celebrates The Center for Family Law as a whole. It reflects a culture, built over more than two decades, where taking on complex, often difficult family law matters for clients who could not otherwise afford representation isn't the exception, it's the norm.
That kind of consistency does not happen by accident. It is the result of firm leadership prioritizing pro bono work, attorneys stepping up case after case, and a shared belief that access to skilled legal counsel in family law matters shouldn't depend on a client's ability to pay.
Thank you LSEM for this honor!





