As an attorney, a parent and a committed social activist, Jolie Justus combined her personal values with her political savvy to emerge as an influential legislator in her freshman term.

Jolie is a passionate defender of social justice and the rights of children. Throughout her first term, she battled to pass the Foster Care Education Bill of Rights. She eventually passed the legislation to two separate bills.

"Kids in foster care struggle academically with lower graduation rates, reading ability and overall academic performance," Jolie said. "Moving from home to home is hard for kids. Sometimes the only constant for these children is their teacher or school friends. This bill will allow many foster children to stop changing schools, even when they are moved out of their original school district."

In addition, Jolie co-sponsored a foreclosure bill that provides tenants with extra time to avoid being sued for eviction.

Professionally, Jolie serves as the director of pro bono services for her law firm, Shook, Hardy & Bacon LLP. Under her direction, the program has been named one of the top 100 free legal services programs in the country.

In recognition of her accomplishments as a legislator, several organizations have bestowed awards upon her. The Missouri Judicial Conference, the Missouri Bar and the Midwest Foster Care and Adoption Association all named her as their legislator of the year.

Jolie, who married her wife Shonda in Iowa, is a dedicated LGBT advocate. On the floor of the Missouri Senate, she called for a resolution urging the federal government to repeal the discriminatory Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy. In her career as a lawyer, Jolie served as the lead attorney for the ACLU on behalf of a teenager who was expelled from school for wearing a t-shirt bearing gay pride messages.

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