Missouri Bar wants additional lawyers in legislature

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Though he knows his suggestion might be met with public skepticism, Missouri Bar President Bill Corrigan says the state legislature needs more lawyers.

So the bar is working to recruit lawyers to run for office.

Whereas one-third of Missouri's legislators were lawyers in 1900, barely 13 percent are today. In fact, the legislature has fewer lawyers than it has in decades -- five of 34 senators and 21 of 163 representatives, Corrigan said.

Of Southeast Missouri's 14 senators and representatives, four are lawyers. All four represent districts that include Cape Girardeau County.

House Majority Floor Leader Jason Crowell, who is a lawyer, said there isn't a correct percentage of any particular profession or background that needs to be reached in terms of legislative membership.

"If a teacher or doctor, mom or dad, plumber or pipefitter runs and their community sends them to Jefferson City, that's great," said Crowell, R-Cape Girardeau. "I'm not in favor of any sort of quota."

Another area member of the bar, state Rep. Rob Mayer, said legislators with a legal background can provide special insight on issues such as tort reform, as can members of other professions on certain matters.

"There are benefits to having lawyer-legislators, just as there are benefits to having farmer-legislators," said Mayer, R-Dexter. "I think all organizations should promote their members to participate in the legislative process."

The two other local legislators with law degrees are Senate President Pro Tem Peter Kinder, R-Cape Girardeau, and state Rep. Scott Lipke, R-Jackson.

Overall, about 20,000 of Missouri's 5.6 million people are lawyers, less than half of 1 percent, according to federal statistics.

Corrigan said it's not that the bar wants most of the state legislators to be lawyers, but that having a good number of them helps with writing legislation, debating policy and as a resource for other lawmakers.

Southeast Missourian staff writer Marc Powers contributed to this report.