We celebrated our dedicated members on June 18^th at Rochester Brewing & Roasting Company. It was yet another great time for all as we came together to enjoy some time away from the office at Member Appreciation. Each attendee received a gift, enjoyed food and beverages, and got a preview of this year’s swag. Thank you to all of you who were able to join us as we showed our appreciation of YOU and your dedication to the profession and Kansas City legal community! As always, thank you to each and every one of you who continue to support KCPA, to work in or support the paralegal profession, and make Kansas City a better place!

On June 7th, the Litigation Section concluded the final session of the Litigation Lab series at the Jackson County Courthouse, Division 14. Attendees had the unique opportunity to observe the closing arguments in the case of Woolery et al v. McIntosh, DC et al. (Case No. 2216-CVI4320), presided over by Judge Torrence.

The case, a medical malpractice suit brought by Melissa and Andrew Woolery against chiropractor Lynn McIntosh, involved claims of failure to provide informed consent for chiropractic manipulations, allegedly leading to a vertebral artery dissection and cerebellar stroke. Despite the plaintiffs' claims, the jury returned a verdict for the defendant, leading to a well-deserved congratulations to BK Christopher and her team from Horn Aylward & Bandy for their successful defense.

During jury deliberations, Judge Torrence spoke with our group, sharing stories from his career, including fond memories of a filing clerk, Katie Saladino, who mentored many attorneys in Jackson County in the 1970s. He emphasized the importance of in-person court appearances, encouraging legal professionals to become familiar with the courthouse and staff, as personal interaction in the courtroom provides valuable learning experiences.

During the event, 18 members were recognized with framed certificates for completing the Litigation Lab series. Congratulations to all participants! For those interested in further learning, recordings of the sessions are now available in the members-only section of the KCPA website.

We thank Judge Torrence for his insightful discussion and extend our appreciation to all members for making the series a resounding success.

On May 1, 2024, KCPA members and supporters gathered at Rockhill Grille to celebrate Law Day, which is recognized annually on May 1 to celebrate the rule of law and to encourage the cultivation of a deeper understanding of the legal system.  Each year, the American Bar Association designates a theme; this year, it was "Voices of Democracy."  The goal is to encourage all Americans to deepen their understanding of the electoral process, engage in civil discussions, and exercise their freedom to vote.

We were honored to have Kansas City attorney Greg Musil speak on these topics.  He encouraged everyone to find ways to have civil, productive conversations about politics with those close to them.  Greg's insightful discussion highlighted the importance of every voice in shaping our democratic society.  As citizens, each of us, no matter our personal views and opinions, would benefit from keeping one of Greg's inspiring quotes in mind as we exercise our rights:  "Democracy works when citizens work at it."

On April 19^th and 20^th, we had the pleasure of gathering with existing members, sponsors, students, and others from the Kansas City legal community at the office of Stueve Siegel Hanson, who graciously loaned us their conference rooms, for our Spring Social and KCPA Career Closet. Members of the Board worked hard to collect and organize voluminous amounts of business clothes and accessories for those in attendance to find new pieces to wear as they start their new legal careers, or to revamp their existing wardrobe. We had a great time networking and raising money for Dress for Success Kansas City.

KCPA donated $600 to Dress for Success KC! The remainder of the women’s items that were donated for this event were delivered to Amethyst Place, who were very excited to have so many donations for those in their program. The men’s items were taken to Hope Faith, who we’ve had a longstanding relationship with. It was wonderful to see so many new and familiar faces come together in a single space to network and enjoy shopping the HUNDREDS of items donated for an amazing cause. Our community came together and supported not one, but three different charities who are doing much-needed work throughout Kansas City. To learn more about each of these organizations and how you can continue to support their efforts, please visit:

Amethyst Place – https://amethystplace.org/about-us/

Dress for Success KC – https://kansascity.dressforsuccess.org/about-us/

Hope Faith – https://www.hopefaith.org/about-1

KCPA sponsored a table again this year, and members of the Board and Section Chairs attended the Jackson County CASA Light of Hope Breakfast on April 10^th. This is their biggest fundraising event of the year. We heard about their mission, goals, and a few stories about why CASA plays such a vital role in the lives of children and families in the foster care system. By 2025, Jackson County CASA will assign an advocate volunteer to 100% of the cases in the county. Reaching this goal requires hundreds of additional CASA volunteers. Be sure to attend the KCPA Annual Seminar on August 29^th to learn more about becoming a CASA volunteer, or check out their website (https://casakc.org/how-to-help/).

We gathered at Society KC for our annual Holiday Luncheon on 12/5/23.  KCPA members and supporters made generous donations to benefit Always & Furever in their important work; KCPA's total donation, thanks to an on-line match, was $5,220!  This is the highest amount donated to a charity by KCPA!  The mission of Always & Furever is to provide senior animals a home in a loving, healthy, living-room setting, where they can comfortably live out their lives.

KCPA also awarded member Patty Berthelson with the Standing Ovation Award.  Congratulations, Patty!  

KCPA held its Fall Social and Fundraiser on 11/9/23 to support KCMO Angels, whose mission is to support children, youth, and families in the foster care community.  Lexitas hosted us for this event.  Members and their guests socialized, donated, and bid on silent auction items to raise funds for this worthy cause.  In total, KCPA donated $1,755!  Thank you to everyone who was able to attend and who donated in support of KCMO Angels!

We held our annual Vendor Showcase on October 18th at iWerx Pavilion; lunch was catered by Brancato’s Catering.

We had yet another full house and a wonderful time. Our members and guests networked with our sponsors and legal vendors and learned more about the services they provide to make our lives easier. Many times, paralegal-vendor relationships are a key to a paralegal’s success as we work through the daily demands in this career.

Thank you to our members, guests, and officers from the Kansas City Police Department for joining us for this event.

Special thanks to the many vendors who took the time out of their busy schedules to attend the event, bring some great swag and raffle prizes, and for their continued support of the Kansas City legal community! We look forward to seeing everyone again next October!