Eureka Lawyer Gets 'Outstanding Award'

St. Louis County Bar Association's “Outstanding Young Lawyer” for 2012 annual award just went to Eureka resident Joe Blanner. The award is presented to one St. Louis attorney for excellence as a lawyer, distinguished service to the Bar, and outstanding service to the community.

Banner is a partner with the Clayton-based law firm of Behr, McCarter & Potter, P.C. There he focuses primarily on construction law, real estate law, municipal law and commercial and general civil litigation.

He previously was selected as an “Up and Coming Lawyer” by Missouri Lawyer’s Weekly and as a “Rising Star” among Missouri lawyers for 2010 and 2011 by Super Lawyers magazine. 

Last year, Blanner was selected by officials as “Citizen of the Year” for his work with various civic and community organizations.  

Eureka Mayor Kevin Coffey said Blanner is a treasure to the Eureka community. "He's active, sincere and a great credit."

Blanner was the founder of the 2,000-member St. Louis Contractor Referral Network, a business development organization for those in the St. Louis construction industry. 

He currently serves as the vice-president of the . He is on the board of as well as the LaBarque Creek Watershed Stream Team Association. He also is an elder at Spring Hills Presbyterian Church. 

At the state level, Blanner recently was appointed to the Missouri Department of Economic Development–Infrastructure Implementation Team and as the vice-chair of the Technology and Computer Law Committee of The Missouri Bar. 

He obtained his bachelor's degree from the University of Missouri-St. Louis in 1998. He then graduated from St. Louis University School of Law with a doctorate's and master's degrees in public administration in 2001. While he was in law school, he interned with the Citizens for Modern Transit and the St. Louis County Counselor’s Office.

He and his wife, Jessica, have four children: Joseph, Samuel, Grace, and Sarah.