Lawrence J. Altman will receive this year’s Missouri Bar Foundation W. Oliver Rasch Award for his article, “US Supreme Court’s June 2023 ruling concludes Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978 is constitutional” in the November/December 2024 issue of the Journal of The Missouri Bar.
Named after the late long-time member and former chair of the Journal Editorial Board, Oliver Rasch, this award recognizes outstanding substantive articles appearing in the Journal.
Altman is an adjunct professor at Avila University in Kansas City. Before retiring in 2016, he was the special education lead attorney and compliance officer for Kansas City Public Schools and the Title IX coordinator for the Kansas City School District. In addition, Altman is a member of the Advisory Board of Project Innovation for Mental Health Enhancement (PRIME), a project funded by the United States Department of Education, and he received Avila University’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion Ambassador Award. Altman graduated from Saint Louis University School of Law.
In his article, Altman outlines the 2023 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that found the Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978 did not violate the Constitution and Congress did not exceed its authority when enacting it. But while Justice Amy Coney Barrett and Justice Neil Gorsuch explained the reasoning for upholding the ICWA, Altman analyzes how future claims that the ICWA violates the equal protection clause may potentially hold up in court following Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. President and Fellows of Harvard College.
“Words really can’t express how honored I am to receive this award,” Altman said. “I hope lawyers understand the contributions [Native Americans] have made to the United States and the importance that the tribes can grow and its members have an equal opportunity to interact with non-[Native Americans] without prejudice or preconceived notions … that are not accurate.”
Altman will accept the Rasch Award in Branson during the Annual Meeting of The Missouri Bar and Judicial Conference, Sept. 17-19.
Altman advised other lawyers to consider submitting articles to the Journal of The Missouri Bar. While the initial proposed article may not be published immediately, he said, lawyers should learn from the famous inventor, Thomas Edison, who said, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”
Lawyers interested in writing an article for the Journal can email Editor Nicole Roberts-Hillen at nhillen@mobar.org or Assistant Editor Genna Tlustos at gtlustos@mobar.org.
Click here to learn more about annual awards presented by The Missouri Bar, The Missouri Bar Foundation, and other entities. Read about other 2025 award winners here.
Editor’s Note: The Missouri Bar follows Associated Press Style, which recommends the term “Native American.”