JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Joe Lauber, attorney with Lauber Municipal Law, LLC, was honored with the Lou Czech Award at the Missouri Municipal Attorney Association (MMAA) annual meeting in Osage Beach, Mo., last week.
The award honors the memory of Lou Czech, who served as city attorney in Berkeley from 1954 to 1994 and Hazelwood from 1970 to 1994. Czech was a founder of the MMAA. The award recognizes public service by municipal attorneys that displays the same high standard of accomplishment, professionalism and ethical conduct as exhibited by Czech. Lauber was nominated and chosen by his peers in MMAA.
Lauber has been in practice since 2003 representing numerous cities and other political subdivisions as general counsel and as special counsel on a wide range of matters including general municipal law, economic development law, public works contracts, annexation, land use planning and zoning, and appellate law.
He was designated as an International Municipal Lawyers Association Local Government Fellow in 2019 and he was selected as a Missouri and Kansas Super Lawyers “Rising Star” for State and Local Government Law from 2011 to 2013.
Lauber has served as a mentor for many young attorneys and he has been a frequent speaker at MML and MMAA events for nearly 20 years. He also assisted MML in the creation of the League’s local government official certification program and served on the MMAA Board of Directors from 2012 -2019, including as president from 2017-2018.
He started his own law firm in 2010 with the sole purpose of serving local governmental entities of all types and sizes. This law firm has grown quickly and now represents 47 cities as city attorney, 12 as prosecutor, and dozens of others as special counsel.
The Missouri Municipal League provides a united voice for municipalities across Missouri. Founded in 1934, MML now serves more than 640 municipalities with training, resources and legislative advocacy for local government success. Learn more at www.mocities.com.
