On June 15, the Legal Aid of Western Missouri hosted its 20th Annual Justice for All Luncheon. The keynote speaker was author and attorney, Scott Turow, whose latest book, Testimony, has been nominated for the 2018 Harper Lee Prize in Legal Fiction. Many UMKC School of Law alumni were awarded at at this event.
Stacey Wullschleger (JD ’07) of Fisher Law and Joseph Kronawitter (JD ’99) of Horn Aylward & Bandy, LLC were recognized with the Robert C. Welch Volunteer Attorney Project Award for their “exemplary commitment to the delivery of pro bono services in our community.”
The Polsinelli law firm (led by Jim Polsinelli (JD ’67) was recognized for its leadership in the Adopt-A-Neighborhood program. That program was developed by Legal Aid Attorney Peter Hoffman (JD ’12), who just this past month moved from Legal Aid of Western Missouri to Legal Aid of Eastern Missouri in St. Louis to help to establish this neighborhood vacancy initiative there in St. Louis. Hoffman was featured in the Fall 2017 issue of the alumni magazine, Res Ipsa. In “Defending the Homefront,” Hoffman discusses the Adopt-A-Neighborhood project in Kansas City.
Pamela Roychaudhury Bhend (JD ’01) was also honored for her outstanding leadership as managing attorney of the Joplin Office of Legal Aid.
UMKC School of Law alumni are central to the leadership of Legal Aid. In addition to Pamela’s leadership of the Joplin office, our alumnus Joseph Dandurand (JD ’80) is Executive Director of the Legal Aid of Western Missouri, Alicia Johnson (JD ’04) is Deputy Executive Director; and Silya Shaw (JD ’14) is Central Office Managing Attorney. In addition, another dozen UMKC alumni serve as staff attorneys in the units for Domestic, Municipal Court, Foreclosure Prevention, Economic Development, Elder Care, Housing Plus and in the Joplin and the St. Joseph offices.
The law school is proud of this partnership with Legal Aid and the many other public and nonprofit organizations that our graduates lead to provide access to justice.