Patrick Brayer is an Associate Professor of Law at UMKC School of Law in Kansas City where he teaches Criminal Law and Criminal Procedure. Pat also co-teaches Evidence, Client Counseling, Trial Advocacy and Appellate Advocacy. He currently serves as the faculty advisor for the UMKC Legal Advocacy Emphasis Program. He is also a proud member of the team that established the Kansas City Legal Services Tap-in Center. Prior to his appointment as a professor, Pat served as an advocacy teaching fellow in the law school’s advocacy program and assisted with coaching the award winning UMKC trial and appellate advocacy teams. Before joining the UMKC Law Faculty, Pat was a 33-year veteran of the Missouri State Public Defender System Trial Division where he served as the Deputy District Defender (First Assistant) of St. Louis County. He is proud of his service as a founding legal coordinator of the community-based Tap-In-Center service collaboration, where he co-organized an effort to alleviate the impact of COVID-19 on individuals with outstanding warrants in the St. Louis area. Pat also served as the MSPD Coordinator of Law Students and Interns for the St. Louis region and is proud of his work in attracting hundreds of students to public defender service. Pat is the past creator and coordinator of many trial skills and new attorney training experiences and has served on the faculty of trial schools in Missouri and other states. His extensive scholarship on issues of racism, trial advocacy and student practice have appeared in print and online in various academic law reviews and practice journals, including the National Law Journal. In 2021 his article, on systemic racism’s impact on Black, Indigenous and People of Color in the jury summons process, was published in the UCLA Criminal Justice Law Review. Pat is also known for his historical essays; including one noted piece on Roger Baldwin, written to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the ACLU. He is a frequent lecturer and presenter speaking on developing the power of personality, cross-examination, student practice, clinical legal education, jury selection, protecting civil liberties and combating hidden bias. Because of his trial experience and published works, Pat was honored as the 2016 Philip H. Corboy Annual Lecturer on Advocacy by Loyola University School of Law in Chicago. His research on implicit bias and jury selection have been presented at conferences throughout the United States and discussed on the BBC series, “The Why Factor”. He is passionate about combating threats impacting the LGBTQ+ Community and an admirer of the advocacy and activism of Josephine Baker. Pat received his J.D. from Loyola University in New Orleans.
