Springfield, Mo., March 22, 2024 – Drury University is thrilled to announce that Crista Hogan, J.D., Executive Director of the Springfield Metropolitan Bar Association and adjunct professor in the Department of Political Science and International Affairs, will be the guest speaker at the upcoming Meador Center Speaker Series event on March 28. The title of her talk is “Balancing Justice: The Missouri Plan for Judicial Selection.” A native of Springfield, Hogan brings over two decades of legal expertise and leadership.
Dr. Daniel Ponder, Director of the Meador Center for Politics and Citizenship, says her talk will tie into the university’s 150th anniversary as the institution has always strived to participate in and contribute to the marketplace of ideas. “Crista’s keen mind and brilliant analysis always cut to the core of any issue,” Ponder says. “Crista is one of the most well-known attorneys in the area, and from her vantage point as Executive Director of the Springfield Metropolitan Bar Association, she is in a position to observe all manner of law and legal practice.”
In her upcoming talk, Hogan will delve into the nuances of the Nonpartisan Court Plan adopted in Missouri in 1940, forever changing what we know as judicial selection and serving as a model for numerous other states. With courts and judicial appointments becoming increasingly contentious in the political landscape, Hogan’s discussion promises to offer timely insights into the effectiveness and challenges of the Missouri Plan after eight decades of implementation.
Sharing an overview of her discussion, Hogan says, “The citizen-driven adoption of the Nonpartisan Court Plan in 1940 changed how we select judges in Missouri and subsequently influenced the judicial selection process in 34 other states. The model was pivotal but not perfect. Eighty years later, critics allege it is very partisan, and even proponents admit it is highly political. But does it work?”
The Meador Center Speaker Series event is titled “Grand Be Thy Destiny” and is open to the public free of charge on Thursday, March 28, at 11:00 a.m. The event will be in the Olin Room in F.W. Olin Library at Drury University, 900 North Benton Ave, Springfield, MO 65802.
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Media Contact: Jasmine Cooper, Executive Director of Marketing and Communications, Office: (417) 873-7390, Email: JCooper020@drury.edu
