The 19th Annual Women’s Justice Awards will be held in St Louis, MO on April 27, 2017. The Awards are to celebrate and recognize women lawyers, law students, up-and-comers, entrepreneurs, public officials and upstanding citizens. Recipients are chosen by a committee of prominent judges and lawyers from around the state, many of whom are past Women’s Justice Award recipients.
This year, four UMKC Law members are receiving the following awards:
Rising Star Award: Stacey Wullschleger, Fisher Law, Kansas City (J.D. 2007)
The Rising Star Award is given to female lawyers 40 years old and younger or within the first 10 years of practice who have already made a difference in the justice system or the profession and who appear on a path toward even greater accomplishment.
Wullschleger is a partner at the law firm, Fisher Law LLC and has a passion for family law. She has practiced family law since she first became a licensed attorney. With over a decade of family law experience, Wullschleger understands that each client is facing a different struggle during this difficult time and is ready to provide legal advice while also providing a down-to-earth approach. Wullschleger is currently the Co-Chair to the Family Law Committee of the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association and a Board Member for the Association for Women Lawyers. She has also been named Best of the Bar for 2014 and a Rising Star by Super Lawyers for 2015 and 2016.
Legal Scholar Award – Professor Mary Kay Kisthardt (Faculty since 1985)
The Legal Scholar Award is given to women faculty members or administrators at Missouri schools for work on behalf of the justice system, through their research or scholarship or through teaching and inspiring others.
Kisthardt received her J.D. in 1978 from Penn State, where she was a member of Law Review and the Moot Court Board. She received her LL.M. from Yale University in 1985. Before joining the faculty in 1985, Kisthardt taught at the University of Hawaii. She also served as a consultant to the Exceptional Children Division of the Hawaii Department of Education. From 1976 to 1981, she worked for several government agencies in the state of Pennsylvania. Kisthardt teaches the courses Family Law, Alternative Dispute Resolution, Children in the Law, Mediation, Elder Law and the workshop in Current Issues in Family Law. She is the executive editor of the Journal of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers.
Leaders of Tomorrow Award – Nicole J. Gudmens (3L)
The Leaders of Tomorrow award is given to women law students who demonstrate leadership, professionalism and a passion for making a difference in the justice system or the legal profession.
Gudmens will graduate with her J.D. in 2017. She has grown up in Kansas City and graduated from University of Kansas with a B.A. in Communication Studies and Art History. At UMKC, in addition to being on the Dean’s List every semester, Gudmens is also president of the Association of Women Law Students and the Lead Articles Editor of the UMKC Law Review. Gudmens has been a litigation clerk for Wendt Law Firm, P.C. since the beginning of her second year. Last fall, Gudmens interned at the United States Attorney’s Office.
Business Practitioner Award – Alumna Andrea G. Bough (J.D. 2000)
The Business Practitioner Award is given to female attorneys who fulfill the ideals of leadership, professionalism, and a passion for improving the quality of the justice system or contributing to the betterment of the legal profession.
Bough is a member of the Lewis Rice’s Real Estate Department. She has extensive experience in economic development; land use, planning, and zoning; and subdivision regulations. She previously served as special zoning council for the City of Fairway, KS Board of Zoning Appeals and Planning Commission, legal counsel for the Board of Zoning Appeals and the Planning Commission for the City of Mission Hills, KS, and legal counsel for the Planning Commission for the City of Roeland Park, KS.
The law school community is deeply proud of these women and their accomplishments.