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For over a decade, the Leadership Academy has been fostering the development of future bar leaders. To date, about 90 lawyers have participated in the Academy, and each member has helped his/her class conduct a unique service project. To view the projects, as well as a list of alumni along with their bios, click on the links under the Academy Alumni column.
Service Project: The 2000-2001 class's project aimed to provide senior citizens with information about resources available to them from the Missouri Bar. The class accomplished this by integrating public service information available from the Missouri Bar into one distributable format.
James D. BeckJohn E. CozeanDanelle Carter Duffy Kimberley Cox FournierKatherine M. Hardy Vanita R. MasseyTimothy J. Smith Michael A. Williams
Service Project: The 2001-2002 class's project focused on the importance of jury service. The class prepared a teaching curriculum and a video titled "We the Jury." The curriculum and video aimed to teach high school juniors and seniors about the jury selection process and the role of the jury in the court system. The class then used the curriculum and video to make presentations in schools.
Nimrod "Rod" Chapel, Jr. Matthew J. Devoti Christian L. Faiella Holly Joyce Jolie L. Justus Maylin Wong Mahoney Brent D. Newman Katharine Shepherd Porter Scott A. Robbins Victoria (Vickie) Shatz (formerly Schroeder)
Service Project: The 2002-2003 class revised and presented an 8-hour legal curriculum for Missouri Girls State ("MGS"). Prior to the class's involvement, students at MGS did not receive college credit for their law course. The 2002-2003 class revamped the MGS law program and submitted it to Central Missouri State University for accreditation. Members of the 2002-2003 class then spent a week in Warrensburg and taught approximately 175 MGS students. Some members of the class enjoyed the project so much that they still teach law at MGS every year.
Kimberly R.H. Franks Gwendelyn M. Garcia Nancy Morales GonzalezJoseph L. HensleyMatthew M. Krohn Phebe A. La MarAndrea N. Lueckenhoff Megan E. PhillipsTracy L. Powell Thomas B. Snider
Sevice Project: The 2003-2004 class created a website that provides young people with information about legal issues they are likely to encounter (e.g. family and domestic, labor and employment, juvenile, criminal, etc.).
Tamara Jameson Anfang Suzette Carlisle Kori S. CarewC. Michelle Coleman Jason H. LambAmy K. MaloneyNelson V. Munoz Elizabeth A. Ortmann-VincenzoRobert D. Paredes
Service Project: The 2004-2005 class translated the Missouri Bar's domestic violence public information brochure into Spanish. The class also found shelters and organizations to distribute the brochures to Spanish-speaking Missourians.
Phillip C. BoydAdam M. Burkemper Adriane Dixon Crouse Lenin V. Guerra Wendy M. Hickey Rolanda S. JohnsonLynn W. Judkins Teresa R. Laidacker Kimberly J. ShieldsLeslie T. Tolliver-RogersKaren C. Warren
Service Project: The 2005-2006 class organized a 5K race at the Missouri Bar's Solo and Small Firm Conference. The proceeds from the race benefited the Missouri Bar Loan Repayment Assistance Program.
Jamica D. Dowell Jane DrummondMichael J. Hackworth Scott A. Hamblin Julia D. Kitsmiller Kemba Logan Gretchen YanceyNicole Sublett Jennifer L. Thompson
Service Project: The 2006-2007 class updated a Missouri Bar pamphlet. The pamphlet was previously titled "Stepping Out," but the class changed the title to "Turning 18: Some Things About the Law You Need to Know." Click here to view the pamphlet. The topics covered by the updated pamphlet ranged from leasing an apartment to drunk driving. The class also organized a group of attorneys to present information from the pamphlet to Missouri high school students.
Joel E. Anderson Michael E. AnfangFrancesca F. Cheroutes Omar D. Davis Sreenu DandamudiJulia S. Grus Kevin S. HillmanKarlla S. Philpot David SlabyJR SwaneganLauren E. Tucker McCubbin
Service Project: The 2007-2008 class's service project aimed to advance public awareness about the Missouri Non-Partisan Court Plan. The class created a public service announcement that was broadcast on YouTube. The class also gave presentations to hundreds of college students about the Plan.
Beth Anderson Jacqueline L. Blocker Cyrus Dashtaki Amany Ragab HackingAaron M. HouseJacki Janelle LangumShazzie Naseem Robert L. (Bob) Ortbals, Jr.Amy Woods HoytEbony Woods McCain
Melanie Daily Ryan T. DeBoef Lacy M. Fields James. E. Gore Micah D. Hall Kirra N. Jones Jennifer M. McAdam Stephanie D. White Thorn Kristol L. Whatley Ronda F. Williams Guillermo G. Zorogastua
Ashley H. Atwell Kerry C. Feld Robert L. Hess Bruce E. Hopson Robert S. Kenney Fibbens Addo Koranteng Christallyn McCloud Jalilah Otto Adam P. Pihana Dianna R. Reed Jacob Shellabarger Angela Alvarez Simmons Brenda Stacey Shira Truitt
J. Zachary Bickel Aarnarian (Apollo) D. Carey Darryl M. Chatman, Jr. Susan B. Henderson Moore Kendra R. Howard Yamini A. Laks Andrew C. Lawson Jason R. McClitis Jessica A. Mikale Kate E. Noland J. Kendall Seal Jonathan T. Sternberg Jerri J. Zhang
Tara L. Blackburn Cassie J. Carpenter Patrick C. Edwards Sara Weilert Gillette Sheena R. Hamilton Amber Hackett Jeffers Christopher W. Lebeck Candyce I. McNeely Jessica M. Mendez Erica L. Mynarich Goldie L. Tompkins Cassandra J. Washington
Tanya K. Alm Adam A. Brown Arimeta R. DuPree L. William Hardwick Lauren A. Horsman Andrea R. Long Justin L. Mason Samir R. Mehta William P. Mobley Daniel F. PortnoyRyan C. Turnage
Jim graduated from Lindenwood College in 1990, and Washington University School of Law in 1993. He was an assistant public defender, and then district public defender until 1997, when he joined the firm of Mueller and Suddarth (which is now Mueller, Beck & Meyer). Jim is active in the Missouri Bar, serving as chair of the Juvenile Courts and Laws Committee (2004-2006), and currently serving as a vice chair of the Solo and Small Firm Committee. In addition, Jim serves on the Board of Governors of the Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys.
Contact:
Managing Partner Mueller Beck & Meyer P.O. Box 290 Troy, MO 63379 Telephone: (636) 528-8518 Fax: (636) 528-8538 Email: jbeck@jbecklaw.com
John E. Cozean was admitted to practice in Missouri and Michigan in 1998. He received his B.A. from Wake Forest University in 1993. In 1998 he graduated from the Thomas M. Cooley Law School. From 1998 to 1999 he served as law clerk to the Honorable Stephen N. Limbaugh, Jr., Judge of the Missouri Supreme Court. He is a member of the Scott County Bar Association as well as the Missouri, Michigan and American Bar Associations. Cozean is an Adjunct Faculty Member for the Department of Criminal Justice and Sociology at Southeast Missouri State University as well as the author of Chapter 15 Nonjury Trials for The Missouri Bar CLE publication on Civil Trial Practice. Cozean practices primarily in the areas of litigation and transactions.
Member Blanton, Rice, Nickell, Cozean & Collins, LLC 219 South Kingshighway P.O. Box 805 Sikeston, MO 63801
Kim Fournier graduated from the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law in 1995. Upon graduation she served as the law clerk to the Honorable Jack Gant in the Jackson County Circuit Court. Next, as an Assistant City Attorney for Kansas City, Missouri, she practiced in the field of eminent domain. She joined the Missouri Attorney General's Office, Labor Division in 2001. She served on the Attorney General's Recruitment Committee, participating in the interview process for prospective attorneys. She was named Unit Leader for the Labor Division in the Kansas City branch office in 2008, and selected to represent the Attorney General's Office at the 2008 National Association of Attorney's General annual meeting and conference.
Kim is the immediate past president of the Association for Women Lawyers of Greater Kansas City. She currently sits on the board of the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association, the LEAP board, and the AWL Foundation Board. She has continued to remain active in Missouri Bar activities by participating on the CLE committee, and in 2008 served on the Missouri Bar Planning Committee for the Annual Meeting. She currently serves on the Judicial Performance Evaluation Committee for the 16th Judicial Circuit. She finds time to serve on church and civic boards as well.
Outside of work, Kim enjoys spending her time with her two children and husband. She loves attending and coaching her children's sporting events and school functions. She serves as the room representative for both of her kids classrooms and is very active in the school PTA.
Asst. Missouri Attorney General—Unit Leader of the Labor Division in Kansas City 3 Missouri Attorney General's Office 615 E. 13th Street Suite 401 Kansas City, MO 64106 Telephone: (816) 889-5010 Fax: (816) 889-5026 Email: kim.fournier@ago.mo.gov
Vanita R. Massey is currently an Attorney Advisor for the Social Security Administration Office of Adjudication and Review in Kansas City, Missouri. She received a dual B.A. in Public Administration/Sociology from Drake University in 1979 and her J.D. from the UMKC School of Law in 1993. Prior to joining the Social Security Administration, Vanita worked as a city prosecutor and maintained a private practice with particular concentration in the areas of domestic relations, juvenile law, estate planning and probate. Vanita has continued her private practice in the areas of probate and estate planning. She is a current member of the Missouri Supreme Court Disciplinary Hearing Panel, The Bar Plan Surety and Fidelity Board, and the Earle E. O'Connor American Inn of Court. Vanita has authored chapters and supplements to the MoBar CLE Deskbooks on Estate Administration and Trusts, Powers, Custodianship, & Nonprobate. She is a past President of the Jackson County Bar Association as well as a former board member of Rosebrooks Center, DSI, Inc., and the UMKC Minority Affairs Committee. In 2000, Vanita was a Missouri Bar Leadership Academy Fellow and she served as Coordinator of the Missouri Bar Leadership Academy from 2001 – 2003. Vanita and Kim Massey have been married for 28 years and are the proud parents of three adult children: Quentin, and twins, Jennifer and Brian.
Attorney Advisor Social Security Administration—Office of Adjudication and Review Kansas City, MO
Mr. Williams represents employers in arbitrations and is an experienced litigator of discrimination and retaliation claims before local, state and federal agencies. Mr. Williams has also served as lead trial attorney in jury trials before federal and state courts in both Kansas and Missouri.
Mr. Williams counsels business clients regarding human resource, workers' compensation and employment issues. He is an experienced speaker to employees, management and human resource officers on various employment law topics. Mr. Williams is also a requested presenter at employment law seminars for continuing legal education and human resource professional organizations.
Mr. Williams is also very active in the Kansas City community as a mentor for disadvantaged youth. He is chair of both the Diversity Committee for the firm and the Heartland Diversity Legal Job Fair. Additionally, Mr. Williams served as an adjunct professor of Labor Law at the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Law (2004 and 2005) and was the first African-American to serve on the Kansas Bar Association Board of Governors.
Partner Lathrop & Gage, LLP 2345 Grand Blvd. Suite 2800 Kansas City, MO 64108 Telephone: (816) 292-2000 Email: mwilliams@lathropgage.com
Associate Regional Counsel Social Security Administration 601 E. 12th St. Room 965 Kansas City, MO 64106
Joe Hensley received his law degree from the University of Missouri – Columbia in 1998. He is formerly the Chairperson of the Springfield Bar Association's Young Lawyer's Committee. He is the former Attorney for the Jasper County Juvenile Office and serves on the Juvenile Courts Committee for the Missouri Bar. Joe practices in the area of civil trials and litigation with an emphasis in Adoptions and Construction litigation. Joe is a certified Mediator and Guardian ad Litem. Joe, his wife, Dina, and their children, Ella (3) and Joseph (1), live in Webb City where Joe is active on the Board of Directors for the Joplin Family YMCA, Webb City R-7 Scholarship Foundation, and Webb City Booster Club, and they are members of the Central United Methodist Church.
Law Office of Hensley & Nicholas, L.L.C. 610 S. Pearl Suite A Joplin, MO 64801 Telephone: (417) 625-1215 Fax: (417) 627-0105 Email: jhensley21@msn.com
Partner Smith Lewis, LLP 111 South Ninth Street Suite 200 Columbia, MO 65205-0918 Telephone: (573) 443-3141 Fax: (573) 442-6686 Email: lamar@smithlewis.com
Megan Phillips is a law clerk for the Missouri Court of Appeals. She began her career in large law firms in Paris, France, and St. Louis, Missouri, and has also worked in non-profit women's advocacy, the family court system, and academia. Within the Missouri Bar, Megan is a member of the Board of Governors and previously served as Vice Chair of the Gender & Justice Committee, Chair of the Leadership Academy, and a St. Louis representative on the Young Lawyers' Section Council. She served as President of the Women Lawyers' Association in 2004-2005 and, by virtue of WLA projects launched during her term, she was named by Missouri Lawyers' Weekly as one of the state's "Up and Coming Lawyers" in 2006. Megan is President of the board of directors of the Missouri CASA Association and a member of the boards of the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis and the Forest Park Southeast Development Corporation. She has served as a volunteer faculty member for Missouri Girls State since 2003 when her Leadership Academy class undertook to revise and present the law curriculum as its service project.
Judicial Law Clerk Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District 815 Olive Street St. Louis, MO 63101 Telephone: (314) 435-6569 Email: mphillips@swbell.net
Kori Carew is married to Gary Baack and a mother to Riley Malaika Baack. She was born in Calgary, Canada, grew up in Marduguri, Nigeria, and her family is from Sierra Leone. Kori loves to read, cook, dance, sing, and spend time with her family. She is passionate about human and civil rights, and diversity issues.
Ms. Carew has been practicing law in Missouri and Kansas federal and state courts since earning her law degree from Drake University Law School in 2001. She has 1st chair and 2nd chair trial experience and defends individuals and corporations in all phases of litigation. Ms. Carew focuses a substantial amount of her practice in torts liability and her experience includes representing one of the world's largest retailers in a variety of tort and product liability claims. Ms. Carew's prior labor and employment experience includes working extensively with unions, negotiating and revising employee policies to comply with federal and state law, and investigating and defending claims of discrimination before administrative agencies and in civil litigation. Kori continues to represent clients through all phases of litigation in employment cases once a lawsuit is initiated. Her practice areas with the firm include various aspects of tort liability, product liability and employment litigation.
Member Baker Sterchi Cowden & Rice, L.L.C. 2400 Pershing Road Suite 500 Kansas City, MO 64108 Telephone: (816) 471-2121 Fax: (816) 472-0288
Jason Lamb is the prosecuting attorney of Audrain County, Missouri. He was 28 years old when he won the contested election for prosecutor, making him one of the youngest elected prosecutors to serve in Missouri. As prosecutor, Lamb handles all levels of criminal cases, ranging from speeding tickets to murder. He also oversees a "Level A" child support enforcement unit. Prior to being elected prosecutor, Lamb was an associate with The Seigfreid Law Firm of Mexico, Missouri, where he engaged in general practice. Prior to entering private practice, he was a law clerk to the Honorable Duane Benton of the Supreme Court of Missouri. Lamb is a former adjunct professor of business law and political science for Moberly Area Community College.
Lamb received his law degree from Tulane School of Law in New Orleans, Louisiana. He received his undergraduate degree in history from the University of Missouri–Columbia. Lamb currently serves as president of the Audrain County Bar Association. He is a graduate of The Missouri Bar Leadership Academy, where he and fellow Academy members developed the Law for Kids website, and promoted the Project Citizen program. Lamb is a member of the Legal Education committee of The Missouri Bar. In 2004, Lamb was named prosecutor of the year by the International Association of Arson Investigators. Lamb has served on the YLS Council since 2005.
Audrain County Prosecuting Attorney 101 N. Jefferson Room 306 Mexico, MO 65265 Telephone: (573) 473-5860 Fax: (573) 473-5865 Email: audrainprosecutor@swbell.net
Amy was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia. She lived with her grandparents in Kansas City, Kansas for a portion of her high school years and later decided to make Kansas City her permanent home.
Amy has been practicing labor and employment law for nearly a decade. Prior to representing employees exclusively, she worked in the employment litigation and policy group for one of the largest defense firms in Kansas City where she represented both corporate and government employers. Amy has experience in employment-related litigation and disputes with both public and private employers, including wage and hour law (FLSA), racial discrimination, sex discrimination, sexual harassment, age discrimination, disability discrimination, and whistleblower/retaliation issues, as well as with disputes arising out of executive contracts. She has played a central role in guiding clients through internal investigations and the administrative charge process of the EEOC and other agencies, and contributed to the favorable resolution of numerous employment disputes.
While in law school, Amy worked as Assistant to Mayor Emanuel Cleaver for Constituent Affairs. After graduating, she served as a law clerk to the Honorable Fernando J. Gaitan, Jr., United States District Court - Western District of Missouri. Amy is a frequent speaker on a variety of topics concerning litigation and employment law issues. Currently, she is a Legal Services Volunteer with the Neighborhood Justice Center, St. Therese Little Flower. She also is the Editor in Chief of The Fair Labor Standards Act, 2008 Cumulative Supplement, ABA Section of Labor & Employment Law (BNA Books).
Attorney Holman Schiavone, LLC 4600 Madison Avenue Suite 810 Kansas City, MO 64112 Telephone: (816) 283-8738 Fax: (816) 283-8739 Email: amaloney@hslawllc.com
I graduated from Loyola University Chicago School of Law in 2002. My work history includes in-house positions with Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, Centocor Biologics, American Optometric Association, Fulbright & Jaworski. My practice is health care transactional with a focus on regulatory/fraud & abuse and corporate.
Fulbright & Jaworski, LLP 8000 Maryland Ave. Suite 1190 St. Louis, MO 63105 Telephone: (314) 505-8826
Assistant County Counselor County of St. Louis, Missouri 41 South Central Clayton, MO 63105 Telephone: (314) 615-2569 Email: pboyd@stlouisco.com
Rolanda Johnson is a graduate of the University of Iowa College of Law.
After being admitted to the Missouri Bar in 2002, she began her legal career, inter alias, representing indigent fathers in Family Court. As a new attorney, Rolanda also served the community as a Public Defender for the State of Missouri. During her tenure with the Public Defenders Office, she had a total of five trials and five not guilty verdicts. Rolanda continues to serve the public as an Administrative Hearing Appeals Officer for the State of Missouri.
Rolanda is a former member of the Mound City Bar Association (MCBA) executive board (4 years). As an active MCBA member, she produced Mound City News, a MCBA publication, and she is also a contributor to the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis' newsletter the St. Louis Lawyer. Rolanda participated in CORO Women in Leadership (2004-2005) and the Missouri Leadership Academy (2004-2005). Rolanda has volunteered for the Humane Society of Eastern Missouri, Stray Rescue of St. Louis and Habitat for Humanity (in St. Louis and New Orleans - post Hurricane Katrina). Rolanda currently sits on the 2009-2010 MCBA President-Elect Planning Committee and the 2009 Humane Society of Eastern Missouri's Purses for Pooches Fundraising Committee.
Administrative Hearing Officer State of Missouri
Kimberly Shields graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Law in 2003 and began her career as an associate at Armstrong Teasdale LLP in Jefferson City. In 2006, Kimberly left private practice and went in house with the Public School Retirement System of Missouri, where she currently advises staff and members on legal issues affecting retirement. In 2004, Kimberly founded and organized the Women Lawyers' Association of Mid-Missouri and served as the Association's first President in 2004-2005. Following her year as a 2004-2005 Leadership Academy member, Kimberly was appointed as a co-vice chair for the Gender and Justice Committee of the Missouri Bar. In 2009 Kimberly was appointed co-chair of the Committee. Kimberly is a member of the Cole County Bar Association where she has served as the scholarship chair since 2007. Kimberly is also active in the Jefferson City community and serves on the Cole County Mizzou Alumni Association Board as the publicity chair. In 2007, Kimberly authored a chapter on the Rights of the Child in the third edition of the Juvenile Law deskbook published by the Missouri Bar. Kimberly is also a regular presenter on the Sunshine Law at the annual conference of the Missouri Association of Public Employee Retirement Systems.
Staff Attorney Public School Retirement System of Missouri 3210 West Truman Blvd. Jefferson City, MO 65109 Telephone: (573) 638-2128 Email: kshields@psrsmo.org
A native St. Louisian, Leslie Tolliver-Rogers is a 2001 graduate of the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Law. A solo practitioner, Mrs. Tolliver-Rogers' firm focuses in the areas of Civil Litigation, including Domestic and Personal Injury law. Also an advisory board member of Missouri Women's Coalition, Mrs. Tolliver-Rogers is a self-proclaimed political junkie. In her spare time, Mrs. Tolliver-Rogers has a passion to serve others. To that end, Walk in your Victory, LLC, a non-profit, founded by Leslie and her daughter, Madison, has pledged to donate 30,000 pairs of children shoes to South Africa during a mission trip in November 2009. Leslie resides in St. Louis County with her daughter Madison.
Managing Attorney Law Office of Leslie Tolliver, LLC 231 S. Bemiston Ave. Suite 910 Clayton, MO 63105 Telephone: (314) 863-4100 ext. 111 Email: leslie_t_tolliver@yahoo.com
Jane is an associate at Schreimann, Rackers, Francka and Blunt, LLC, where she primarily practices in the areas of administrative, employment and health care law.
She graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Law in 2001, having served as the Associate Managing Editor of the Missouri Law Review and president of Phi Alpha Delta. She also achieved Order of the Coif.
Jane began her legal career at Husch & Eppenberger, LLC (now Husch Blackwell Sanders, LLP). In 2005, she became the General Counsel of the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services and was later appointed by Governor Matt Blunt as that agency's director. Jane also served as Governor Blunt's General Counsel in 2006.
Jane has been a member of the Missouri Bar's Labor and Employment Law Committee since 2001, and served as the chair of the Significant Decisions Subcommittee from 2003 to 2008. She was named Chair of the Committee by Bar President Thomas Burke in 2008.
Jane is a member of the Cole County Bar Association and Women's Law Association of Mid-Missouri. She previously served as a faculty affiliate for the Sue Shear Institute for Women in Public Life.
Associate Attorney Schreimann, Rackers, Francka & Blunt, LLC 2316 St. Mary's Blvd. Suite 130 Jefferson City, MO 65109 Telephone: (573) 634-7580 Fax: (573) 635-6034 Email: jcd@srfblaw.com
Gretchen Yancey was born April 24th, 1976 in Hannibal, Missouri, and graduated from Hannibal High School in 1994.
After graduating from high school, Gretchen attended Drury University in Springfield, Missouri. She graduated from Drury in 1998 with a double-major in Speech Communication and English, as well as a minor in Criminology and an emphasis in Women's Studies. During her time at Drury, Gretchen was also a member of the Delta Delta Delta sorority.
In 1998, Gretchen moved to Columbia, Missouri to attend law school at the University of Missouri Columbia School of Law. She graduated from law school in December 2000 and passed the bar exam in February 2001. She was admitted to the Missouri Bar on April 18, 2001, less than a week before her 25th birthday.
Gretchen spent 2 years working for the State of Missouri – Department of Health and Senior Services, and then 4 years working at Oliver Walker Wilson, LLC in Columbia, Missouri. She began working at the Law Offices of Edwin W. Orr, LLC as an Associate Attorney in 2007.
Gretchen is the immediate past President of the Women Lawyer's Association of Mid-Missouri (MO), a member of the Boone County Bar Association, and a former chair of the Boone County Bar Association's Young Lawyer's Committee. She is also currently serving on the Boone County Bar Association Family Law Committee. Gretchen is also a former advising co-chair and participant of the Missouri Bar Leadership Academy Program.
Gretchen lives in Columbia, Missouri with her husband Jim Evans, and her daughters, Faith and Grace.
Associate Attorney Law Offices of Edwin Orr, LLC PO Box 7186 Columbia, MO 65205 Telephone: (573) 443-2828 Fax: (573) 443-6876 Email: gyancey@edorr.com
Michael Anfang is a 1996 graduate of the University of Wisconsin Law School. He also attended the University of Wisconsin for his undergraduate studies, having graduated in 1993. He works for the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Regional Counsel as an attorney. Michael's main areas of practice have been in health law (mainly tort claims), employment law and information law (mainly Privacy Act and HIPAA). More recently, Michael has become involved with reviewing clinical trial agreements between the VA and private industry sponsors of those clinical trials.
Attorney Department of Veterans Affairs—Office of Regional Counsel 1201 Walnut Street Suite 800 Kansas City, MO 64106 Telephone: (816) 701-3080 Fax: (816) 701-3098 Email: michael.anfang@va.gov
Sreenu Dandamudi is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (A.B.), American University in Washington, DC (M.A.), and Washington University in St. Louis (J.D.). He began working in the field of professional licensing law with the Missouri Attorney General's office in 2001 and went in-house with the State Board of Registration for the Healing Arts in 2006.
General Counsel Missouri State Board of Registration for the Healing Arts P.O. Box 4 Jefferson City, MO 65102
Kevin Hillman currently serves as the city attorney for the City of St. Robert, Missouri. In that capacity he serves both as the city counselor and as city prosecutor in the St. Robert Municipal Court. St. Robert is one of Missouri's fastest growing cities and is located at the front gate of Fort Leonard Wood in the Missouri Ozarks.
In addition to serving as the city attorney, Mr. Hillman is also a major in the Missouri Army National Guard. He is currently assigned as a Command Judge Advocate for Headquarters, Joint Forces Missouri, Ike Skelton Training Site, Jefferson City, Missouri.
Prior to working for the City of St. Robert, Mr. Hillman was in private practice with the law firm of Smith and Turley in St. Robert. His areas of practice included criminal defense, civil litigation, and collection actions. Before entering private practice, Mr. Hillman was on active duty in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General's Corps for over five years. In that time, he served as a legal assistance attorney, a military prosecutor, and as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney.
Mr. Hillman holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Centre College and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Cincinnati College of Law. He is a graduate of the Officer Basic and Officer Advanced Courses of the U.S. Army's Judge Advocate General's School as well as the Command and General Staff Course, Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. He is licensed to practice law in the states of Missouri and Ohio. He lives in Waynesville, Missouri with his wife Allison, and two daughters, Abigail and Alyssa.
City Attorney City of St. Robert, Missouri 194 Eastlawn Ave. Suite A St. Robert, MO 65584 Telephone: (573) 451-2000 ext. 1110 Cell: (573) 336-0788 Fax: (573) 336-5714 Email: khillman@saintrobert.com
I began my practice at McCaffree, Landoll & Slaby in 1998. I was in general practice for 9 years before making the decision to move to St. Louis last year to be closer to family. I now work for Paule, Camazine & Blumenthal, P.C. focusing on family law and juvenile cases, as well as guardian ad litem appointments. I have extensive bench trial experience and have tried several jury trials to verdict.
I also enjoy community work. I am past president of the United Way of Vernon County and have worked on several other community boards over the years. I have also worked on the YMCA Youth in Government Program in the past as a volunteer attorney.
Attorney Paule, Camazine & Blumenthal, P.C. 165 N. Meramec Avenue 6th Floor St. Louis, MO 63105 Telephone: (314) 727-2266 Fax: (314) 727-2101 Email: dslaby@pcblawfirm.com
JR Swanegan currently serves as the Director of Diversity and Outreach Initiatives at the University of Missouri College of Engineering. In this capacity he focuses on the recruitment and retention of underrepresented minority students in engineering, developing and implementing student programming, as well as alumni outreach and development duties. Prior to his current position, Swanegan served as a judicial law clerk to the Honorable Charles Atwell in Jackson County, Missouri and as Coordinator of Student Diversity Programs at the University of Missouri-School of Law. Swanegan is a graduate of the University of Missouri and University of Missouri-School of Law.
Director of Diversity and Outreach Initiatives University of Missouri, College of Engineering W1036 Lafferre Hall Columbia, MO 65211 Telephone: (573) 884-8508 Email: swanegana@missouri.edu
Ms. Tucker McCubbin is an associate in the litigation department at Polsinelli Shughart, where she focuses her practice on insurance coverage litigation, class action litigation, and intellectual property litigation. Before joining the firm, she clerked for the Honorable William Ray Price, Jr. at the Missouri Supreme Court. Ms. Tucker McCubbin is a 2003 graduate of Washington University School of Law and a 2000 graduate of Wellesley College.
Since graduating from the Leadership Academy, Ms. Tucker McCubbin has remained very active in the Missouri Bar, serving as a member of the Task Force on Professionalism, as well as on the Young Lawyers Section Council. Ms. Tucker McCubbin also serves on the Board of the National Conference of Women's Bar Associations, and is an active member of the Association for Women Lawyers of Greater Kansas City. Ms. Tucker McCubbin has also coached the Liberty High School Mock Trial team for several years, and regularly presents to area high school government classes about the legal system and Missouri's Non-Partisan Court Plan. Lauren and her husband, Gabe, live in Liberty, Missouri, with their two children.
Associate Attorney Polsinelli Shughart, PC 120 W. Twelfth St. Kansas City, MO 64105 Telephone: (816) 360-4116 Email: ltucker@polsinelli.com
An Assistant Attorney General since 2005, Cy has prosecuted cases to protect Missouri consumers from deceptive and unfair trade practices, enforced Missouri's civil rights laws, fought for the rights of Missouri workers, and ensured accessibility for all persons in places of public accommodation throughout Missouri.
A native of Jefferson City, Missouri, Cy earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from Lincoln University in 2002, and his law degree from Washington University School of Law in 2005.
Cy is an active member of the Missouri Bar, currently serving as a member of the Legislative Review Subcommittee of the Labor & Employment Law Committee. He also is involved in numerous community not-for-profit groups, civic and professional organizations.
Assistant Attorney General Office of the Missouri Attorney General PO Box 899 Jefferson City, MO 65102 Telephone: (573) 751-3321 Fax: (573) 751-8464 Email: cyrus.dashtaki@ago.mo.gov
After graduating cum laude from Saint Louis University School of Law, Ms. Hacking served as a law clerk to the Honorable Mary K. Hoff of the Missouri Court of the Appeals, Eastern District. She subsequently practiced at two law firms in St. Louis focusing on complex civil litigation and appellate advocacy. While in private practice she received the David J. Dixon award for excellence in appellate advocacy from the Missouri Bar Foundation.
Since 2002, Ms. Hacking has served as a law clerk to the Honorable Booker T. Shaw of the Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District. She also taught graduate and undergraduate students at Webster University. During law school, Ms. Hacking served as the Managing Editor of the Saint Louis University Law Journal and pursued her Masters degree in Public Administration. She teaches in the School's Clinical Program.
Assistant Clinical Professor Saint Louis University School of Law 3700 Lindell Blvd. St. Louis, MO 63108 Telephone: (314) 977-2778 Email: ahacking@slu.edu
Aaron practices at Husch Blackwell Sanders LLP in the areas of general business and corporate law, real estate law, and commercial finance. Aaron has lived most of his life in the Kansas City area, and he continues to build upon his impressive record as a legal and civic leader by volunteering his time with local and national nonprofit organizations. As a graduate of the Missouri Bar's Leadership Academy, Aaron speaks at colleges in support of the Missouri Nonpartisan Court Plan. Prior to entering private practice, Aaron clerked for the Honorable Laura Denvir Stith, Supreme Court of Missouri, from 2005-2006.
Associate Attorney Husch Blackwell Sanders LLP 1200 Main Street Suite 2300 Kansas City, MO 64105 Telephone: (816) 283-4664 Fax: (816) 421-0596 Email: aaron.house@huschblackwell.com
Jacki Langum joined Legal Services of Eastern Missouri in 2006 as a staff attorney with the Housing Unit and Homeless Legal Project. She represents the rights of tenants in subsidized housing including application denials, subsidy terminations, condemnations and habitability issues. In addition, Jacki works with individuals experiencing homelessness providing legal assistance to remove barriers to housing and employment.
Jacki received bachelors degrees in Journalism (with honors), Political Science and Religious Studies in 2003 and her JD in 2006 all from the University of Missouri-Columbia.
Jacki is an active member of the Missouri Bar, the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis and the Women Lawyers' Association of St. Louis.
Staff Attorney with the Housing Unit & Homeless Legal Project Legal Services of Eastern Missouri 4232 Forest Park Avenue St. Louis, MO 63108 Telephone: (314) 256-8746 Fax: (314) 534-1028 Email: jjlangum@lsem.org
Bob exclusively defends employers and management in employment-related disputes in various forums throughout the U.S. His experience includes claims involving discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wrongful discharge, failure-to-accommodate, FMLA interference, noncompetition and non-solicitation covenants, trade secret, and other related state and common law claims.
Bob has achieved successful results at every stage of the litigation process. At the administrative charge stage, he has successfully defended witness interviews, onsite investigations, and obtained "no probable cause" findings. He has won cases at the litigation stage through second-chairing a state court jury trial and writing successful summary judgment motions. He has also represented employers at court hearings, at mediations, by taking numerous plaintiffs' depositions, and by defending witness depositions. Finally, Bob has successfully briefed and argued several cases at the appellate level.
Bob is also active in the professional community. He recently graduated from The Missouri Bar Leadership Academy, which trains a select group of young attorneys for future leadership in The Missouri Bar, and has been selected as Advising Co-Chair for upcoming Leadership Academy classes. Bob also regularly publishes on topics related to employment law.
Associate Attorney Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C. 4717 Grand Avenue Suite 300 Kansas City, MO 64112 Telephone: (816) 410-2225 Fax: (816) 471-1303 Email: bob.ortbals@ogletreedeakins.com
Amy Woods Hoyt joined the Center for Health Policy at the University of Missouri - Columbia in October 2008 and serves as the Project Director for the MO HealthNet Data Project. Prior to joining the Center for Health Policy, she worked for the Missouri Department of Social Services, serving as the Assistant Deputy Director of the MO HealthNet Division, Clinical Services Unit. Ms. Hoyt previously spent five years working for the Missouri House of Representatives Research Office as a Senior Legislative Analyst, where she staffed committees on Health Care Policy, Judiciary, Children and Families, Criminal Law, and Social Services, Medicaid and the Elderly, as well as Interim Committees on Medicaid Reform. Ms. Hoyt also has experience as a litigation attorney for the Department of Social Services, representing the Department in Child Protective Services cases before Missouri Circuit and Appellate Courts. Ms. Hoyt holds a J.D. from the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Law and a B.A. from Truman State University.
Project Director University of Missouri - Columbia—Center for Health Policy CE544, CS&E Building Columbia, MO 65212 Telephone: (573) 882-6447 Fax: (573) 884-0474 Email: woodsav@health.missouri.edu
Ebony McCain is an attorney at Stinson Morrison Hecker LLP. She represents employers in business and employment litigation and immigration compliance. Prior to joining Stinson Morrison Hecker LLP, Ms. McCain served as a law clerk to United States District Court Judge Charles A. Shaw in the United States District Court - Eastern District of Missouri. She received her law degree from Washington University in St. Louis School of Law in 2003 and her B.A. in Political Science from Rhodes College in 2000. Ms. McCain is admitted to the Missouri Bar and is a member of the American Bar Association and the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis. She is on the Board of Directors for the Child Day Care Association and is the Co-Director for Life Center International Church's College and Career Ministry. Ms. McCain was a member of the Missouri Bar Leadership Academy Class of 2007-2008. She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
Associate Attorney Stinson Morrison Hecker, LLP 169 North Meramec Suite 400 St. Louis, MO 63105 Telephone: (314) 863-0800
Stephanie White Thorn is a 2007 graduate of the University of Missouri Law School. During her tenure at MU, she served as the President of the Black Law Student Association, was active in the Women's Law Association and the Board of Advocates. Also during law school, as a Rule 13-certified law student in the Family Violence Clinic, Stephanie represented survivors of domestic violence in Boone and Cole County. She was granted the Jackson County Bar Association's Kit Carson Roque, Jr. Scholarship.
Ms. White Thorn is currently an Assistant Attorney General in the Governmental Affairs Division. Prior to joining the Attorney General's Office, she served as Legal Counsel for the Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, Division of Worker's Compensation. She is active with the Missouri Bar Association and serves on several committees.
Prior to her legal career, Ms. White Thorn worked as an administrator in higher education.
Ms. White Thorn has studied in Paris, France and Dakar, Senegal. She is married to Andre Thorn.