Thompson Coburn attorneys Laura Jordan and Layla Husen were recognized at the Missouri Lawyers Media Women’s Justice Awards ceremony April 10 in St. Charles, Missouri. Laura was honored for her exceptional litigation work, while Layla received accolades for her dedication to pro bono services.
Missouri Lawyers Media also published profiles highlighting the accomplishments of Laura and Layla.
Laura, who began her legal career in 1999, reflected on her early aspirations and road to success: “I wanted to try cases. I wanted to stay married, and I wanted to have children who still spoke to me as adults,” she said. “I knew maybe one or two women who fit that bill. Now, there are just so many more of us so we can see that there is not just a single path to success. You can do it in a lot of different ways. That’s been really gratifying.”
She described her practice as a blend of business law and human psychology, requiring a deep understanding of corporate operations and priorities.
“Employment claims are typically because people feel their job ended for an unfair reason and good advocacy really requires me to understand the business decisions that are driving those HR matters,” she said.
Click here to read Laura’s profile (subscription required).
Layla, celebrated for her pro bono contributions, recalled her initial motivation for pursuing a law degree: “It betters your life and the world,” she said. “You can do a lot with it.” She continued that she has always had a passion for pro bono work, especially when it comes to civil liberties and issues related to marginalized people. She also likes to do pro bono landlord/tenant cases.
At TC, her niche includes white collar crime defense and investigations.
“Everybody is entitled to a defense, and I love high-stakes litigation,” she noted, “so it is the perfect place to be.” She also emphasized the firm’s commitment to supporting women in their careers.
“One of the best pieces of advice I got when I was looking for where I wanted to work was don’t just look at the makeup of women in the associates,” she said. “Look at the partners and find a place where you really feel like they put women at the forefront of mind.”
Click here to read Layla’s full profile (subscription required).
