Exhibits

The Freedom Suits Exhibit

Join us to see The Freedom Suits, an exhibit created for the Law Library Association by the Missouri State Archives.  This exhibit returned to the Law Library Association on June 2, 2025 after a prior showing in the fall of 2024.

Approximately 400 lawsuits by enslaved people suing for their freedom were filed in Missouri. At least one third of them were successful. This is a remarkable statistic given that African American enslaved people were not allowed to appear in court and testify in their own lawsuits.  

The Freedom Suits exhibit includes rarely-seen court pleadings of claims made by enslaved people seeking their freedom. The exhibit also includes explanatory panels about Freedom Suits in St. Louis, Freedom Suits in Missouri and a timeline of the Freedom Suits in comparison with other events taking place in the United States in the 1800s.  

Presenting sponsors: 

Law Library Association of St. Louis
                                    
Freedom Suits Memorial Foundation

Additional sponsors: 


Individual sponsors: 

Michael and Laura Ellenhorn
Thomas and Sara Neill

Organizational sponsors:  

AJ Legal Services
Baker Sterchi Cowden & Rice
The Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis
Brown & Jame P.C.
Dowd Bennett LLP
Husch Blackwell
Legal Services of Eastern Missouri

Lexitas
Littler
Thompson Coburn LLP   
                                                


Free and open to the public Monday- Friday 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM. Contact Gail Wechsler at gwechsler@llastl.org to arrange group tours.                                            


Freedom Suits Exhibit Has Returned to the Law Library Association

Back by popular demand, the Law Library Association of St. Louis and the Freedom Suits Memorial Foundation are happy to announce that The Freedom Suits exhibit, including historical information about the history of the Freedom Suit lawsuits in Missouri, will be returning to the Law Library. The exhibit will be open on Monday June 2 and will be at the Law Library Association for at least one month. More details on the run of the exhibit and related programming will be coming soon.     

The exhibit will be open to the public Monday-Friday from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM. No advance registration will be needed. For information on bringing a group to see the exhibit, contact Library Director Gail Wechsler at gwechsler@llastl.org

Judicial Legacy Project: Honoring Trailblazers in our Courts Now Open

Join the Law Library Association of St. Louis for a special exhibit honoring judges who have served in the 22nd Judicial Circuit Court and other courts in our region. This exhibit was created by the Law Library Association and supported by a grant from the Saint Louis Bar Foundation. Find out more about the exhibit, including sponsorship opportunities at  https://llastl.org/judicial-legacy-exhibit 

Read more about the exhibit in this story from Saint Louis Public Radio, KWMU. Find the story here

Law Library Awarded New Grant by St. Louis Bar Foundation to Translate Materials into Spanish

In October 2025, the Law Library Association of St. Louis received a grant from the St. Louis Bar Foundation. This grant will be used to translate four pro se guides prepared in-house at the Law Library into Spanish. This will increase our reach and expand our access to justice work. 

Many thanks to the St. Louis Bar Foundation for this honor.