Law Day was celebrated on May 1^st with our annual luncheon at Lidia’s. Guest speaker Kylie Mank of Morgan Pilate, LLC joined us to discuss Constitutional rights and the role they play in the criminal justice system. She also shared her experience with seeking post-conviction relief on behalf of Larry Callanan and Lamar Johnson and successfully securing their exonerations with the support of the Midwest Innocence Project.

KCPA hosted a table at Jackson County CASA’s annual Light of Hope Breakfast again this year. Board members who attended the event heard about the much-needed services CASA provides to our community, the CASA House, and their Older Youth Advisory Board. We had the pleasure of hearing teens in foster care speak about their personal experiences and hopes for the future. With the support of generous sponsors and donors, CASA raised over $205,000! There is a continued need for CASA volunteers. If you’re interested in hearing more about becoming a volunteer or supporting CASA through other means, please visit CASAKC.org

We gathered for our annual Holiday Luncheon on December 5^th at the beautifully decorated Society KC. We had one of our largest crowds in KCPA’s history!

Jackson County CASA was the chosen charity to benefit from the fundraising done at this event. We had the pleasure of having Ashley Huggans, CASA’s Manager of Volunteer Recruitment & Community Engagement, join us to share more information about the many ways CASA serves the community and the upcoming need for more volunteers as they plan to take over 100% of the foster care cases in the county in 2025. To support their efforts in providing for the children in our community, we raised more than $3,000 in monetary donations and gift cards, and collected over 350 personal hygiene items!

As always, our members and legal community didn’t disappoint in coming together for this amazing cause and closing 2024 on a positive note by giving to others, sharing love and laughter, and setting the bar high going into KCPA’s 50^th year in 2025.

Our annual Vendor Showcase was held October 16, 2024. Attendees had an opportunity to network with our sponsors and legal vendors to learn more about the services they provide to the Kansas City legal community.

We supported our friends with the Kansas City Missouri Police Department in supporting their Bears on Patrol initiative and by collecting coats, hats, gloves, and scarves for their Coats & Cocoa community event. Yet again, our legal community came through and donated carloads of stuffed animals and winterwear to support KCPD in their efforts to help those in our community.

The 2024 Above & Beyond Award (f/k/a Vendor of the Year) was presented to HPS. Thank you HPS for all that you do for the Legal Community in Kansas City, and we all look forward to working with you in the future!

Thank you to our members and guests for joining us this year!

During October, KCPA  members, family, and friends had several opportunities for volunteering with Harvesters—The Community Food Network. Harvesters is a regional food bank that provides nutritious meals and essential resources to those facing food insecurity in Kansas City and beyond. Our volunteers assisted with sorting and packing food donations, ensuring that Harvesters can continue to meet the critical needs of individuals and families in our community. It was an inspiring experience to contribute to their mission of feeding hope and making a difference in the lives of others.

KCPA participated in the Children’s Mercy Dream Big Day as our Fall Social on September 21, 2024. The weather wasn’t perfect, and we didn’t have the largest group, but there was a great time had by all, especially the members’ children and grandchildren. 

Leading up to the event, the KCPA Loves the Kids team hosted an online fundraiser to collect monetary donations to support the amazing work Children’s Mercy provides to the children and families of our community. We were able to raise $5,335 and we were in the top 10 teams for money raised! Based on our review of historical data, we’re also very excited to celebrate this fundraiser being the largest amount of monetary donations KCPA has collected in a single fundraiser!

Thank you to everyone who donated, attended the event, or shared the fundraiser page to help us support a worthy cause, celebrate a Kansas City treasure, and break a KCPA record along the way.

We had a wonderful turnout with for KCPA’s 2024 Annual Meeting and Seminar on August 29, 2024.  Speakers included Madeline Johnson with Missouri Kansas Queer Law; Ashley Huggans, Jackson County CASA; Jennifer Olberding, Johnson County Community College; Brianna Smith, IMS Legal Strategies; and Renea Mitra, Karen O’Keefe, and Hilary Onik from the Clerk’s offices in U.S. District of Kansas and the Western District of Missouri.

KCPA President, Rachel Scribner, gave her annual address for KCPA’s Annual Meeting. Tamara Davis, KCPA Treasurer, presented the treasury report. The Board also recognized its current board members, welcomed new board members, and said goodbye to outgoing board members.

A special “thank you” to our sponsors who attended this year:  Adams & Martin Group, Complete Legal, Lexitas, Pohlman, Spine & Joint Center of American, and Veritext.

Shazzie Naseem of Berkowitz Oliver joined us for our July luncheon at Lidia’s. Mr. Naseem gave a fantastic presentation on a variety of areas related to mind mapping. He provided suggestions, tips, and tricks for mental models, time blocking, and implementing The 12 Week Year into our workflow and daily lives. Mr. Nassem also gave us a great reminder, “A goal without a plan is just a wish.” We had a great turnout, wonderful time, and left with a wealth of knowledge to leverage in making our lives more organized and efficient.

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!