Clayton Dad Serves on Nonprofit Law Board

It's been a busy year for attorney Tom Glick.

In June, he returned to private practice in , the city he has called home for more than a decade. He also recently became president of the board of Legal Services of Eastern Missouri, an organization that provides an array of legal help to people who are at or just above the poverty line.

Glick's profession sets him apart from many of his family members.

"I'm the odd man out in the family because I went to law school as opposed to real estate," he said, "although they always try to pull you back in."

Glick's father, sister, grandfather and great-uncle are among family members who have worked as Realtors in the St. Louis area. The family knowledge is still helpful for Glick, who works on many cases involving real estate law, along with estates, trusts, guardianships and other focus areas for people with special needs.

He spent a lot of time in Clayton starting as a teenager, when his dad began living in the city. Glick went on to earn a bachelor's degree in government from the University of Texas and a law degree from the University of Missouri. He previously served as a staff attorney at St. Louis County Probate Court and in private practice in downtown St. Louis.

Before opening his own practice, Glick worked for five years at Danna McKitrick. There, he said, "I learned a lot about the business of practicing law, how to run a business."

Glick now leads the Law Offices of Thomas G. Glick, located in Suite 100 of 201 N. Meramec Blvd.

One practice area is particularly significant for Glick: special education law. He spent time learning that area so that he could help his son Jonas, a second-grader at who benefits from special education services.

Glick's wife, Brenda Guynes Glick, holds a master of social work degree from the Brown School of Social Work at Washington University and has helped many parents of children with special needs through a statewide program called MPACT. She will use that skill set to help Glick on special education cases at the firm. The couple have two sons, Jonas and Alex, a fifth-grader at .

As the new Legal Services board president, Glick is responsible for working with his colleagues to enact policy and to appoint people to subcommittees.

"The board composition has some specific requirements, including that one-third of the members are … eligible for legal services," he said. That increases the diversity of the board and ensures members consider a variety of interests.

Glick also will help with fundraising and other financial responsibilities at Legal Services. He has worked as a volunteer lawyer with the organization for 15 years and has been awarded for his work there.

More about Tom Glick on Patch: