Cape Girardeau lawyer inducted into law society posthumously

The late John L. Oliver Jr. has been posthumously inducted into the University of Missouri's Law Society for establishing a scholarship to be given to students who have proven outstanding academic achievement under a rigorous curriculum.

Oliver, a prominent Cape Girardeau lawyer who died last year at age 62, was inducted April 21 at a dinner on the university campus in Columbia, Mo. Oliver's wife, Debi, and daughter, Brandi Schumacher, accepted the Law Society medallion at the dinner.

Casey Baker, the law school's director of external relations, said the Law School Foundation created the Law Society in 1984 to recognize the strongest supporters and major financial contributors to the School of Law.

Oliver made an estate gift valued at more than $100,000, Baker said. Oliver was among 11 inductees this year, three of whom were inducted posthumously. Oliver got his law degree from the University of Missouri in 1968. There are a total 213 members of the Law Society

Oliver's gift will be used to establish a scholarship in his name. Students will be from the Southeast Missouri counties of Bollinger, Howell, Pemiscot, St. Francois, Butler, Iron, Perry, Stoddard, Cape Girardeau, Madison, Phelps, Carter, Mississippi, Reynolds, Texas, Dent, New Madrid, Ripley, Douglas, Oregon, Scott, Wayne, Dunklin, Ozark, Shannon and Wright, and have a minimum qualifying GPA of 3.0.