A client once gave Bernie Rhodes a pair of socks that said, “Emergency Contact Person.” Bernie loved the socks, stating, “When a client is in trouble, I am the person they call. I have the skill set to respond to any situation and the confidence to make split-second decisions.” One assistant general counsel said, “When trying to think of one example of an expectation being exceeded, it is hard because so much has been done for us.”
Bernie Rhodes’ 40-year career at Lathrop GPM can be defined as high-profile, high-stakes and high-risk. A recipient of a Legal Champion Award presented by Missouri Lawyers Media, Bernie leads Lathrop GPM’s nationwide Media Law Practice Group. In that role, he faces challenges daily as part of the 24-hour news cycle. He has a dual focus, with half of his time spent in newsrooms advising media organizations—from traditional outlets to modern social media platforms—and the other half in the courtroom. This blend of advisory and litigation work equips Bernie with a unique perspective.
When asked…
Why did you become a lawyer?
In kindergarten, I was color blind, and my dream of becoming a cop was dashed—it’s hard to catch a crook in a red car when you don’t know your colors. From then on, I figured if I couldn’t be a cop, I would be a lawyer, even though no one in my family had gone to college or I didn’t know a single lawyer. More than 40 years later, here I am.
What do you do outside of work?
My father, a self-taught engineer, taught me to work with my hands from an early age. My brother and I built a wooden puppet theatre before we could even read by copying numbers from the plans to the tape measure. I still love building things today, like parade floats for our grandkids and set decorations for charity events. When I am on a 12-foot ladder, wearing a toolbelt and carrying a power tool, people often ask what I do for a living. When I tell them I am a lawyer, they always respond: “No way.”