SPRINGFIELD, Mo.—Springfield criminal defense attorney Joseph S. Passanise received a 2023 Missouri Lawyers Award for Firm Leadership from Missouri Lawyers Media at award ceremonies earlier this month in St. Louis. The award recognized Passanise for his extraordinary vision, innovation, and leadership over the past year. He was one of only six attorneys recognized for Law Firm Leadership statewide. 

“Nominations were submitted from across the state and are a testament to the great work practiced day in and day out by so many dedicated men and women,” said Liz Irwin, Publisher of Missouri Lawyers. She said the organization’s annual awards have a ripple effect, shining light on the good things the honorees have done in their communities and beyond. “They are leaders, not followers.”

“As a firm leader, I think it’s essential that we give back to our communities,” Passanise said. “We need to make a difference and not just in the practice of law. I strive in my profession to be one of the best at what I do, in court and in the communities we serve.”

A Fellow of the American Board of Criminal Lawyers (ABCL), Passanise obtained his Juris Doctor, with honors, from Washburn University School of Law. He was awarded the Charles M. Shaw Award for excellence in trial advocacy in 2013. He is a past president of the Missouri Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers; a member of the National College of DUI Defense; the National Child Abuse Defense and Resource Center; and a member of the National Trial Lawyers Criminal Defense Top 100. 

His peers have recognized him as a Best Lawyer in America (2007-Present) in the practice areas of criminal defense: general, white-collar crime, and DUI/DWI defense. He was recognized by Best Lawyers In America, 20221 Ed., as Springfield Lawyer of the Year for Criminal Defense: General Practice. The following year, he was recognized in Best Lawyers in America: 2022 Ed., as Springfield Lawyer of the Year for Criminal Defense: White Collar. Wampler Passanise has been recognized as a Best Firm by Best Lawyers for more than a decade (2010-Present).

Passanise was named by Springfield Business Journal as part of its 12 To Know Series in 2022 and was appointed to the Missouri Tourism Commission by Governor Mike Parson in 2020 and the Senate Redistricting Commission in 2021.