Two new Family Court commissioners were appointed today by the judges of the Jackson County Circuit Court at its court en banc meeting. The new commissioners will replace two others who are retiring this summer.

The Court appointed William R. Jackson III to Division 40 and Nancy Alemifar to Division 44. Both individuals have spent the majority of their legal careers working in family law.

"We are pleased to have been able to select two commissioners from a list of five very qualified candidates," said Presiding Judge Justine E. Del Muro. "Ms. Alemifar and Mr. Jackson will be excellent additions to our court. Their experience as attorneys in Family Law will serve them well as they assume their new roles as commissioners."

Jackson is presently serving as the Family Court’s Juvenile Officer and Director of Legal Services. He has served in that position since January 2013. Jackson joined the Family Court in 1987 and has worked as Assistant Director of Legal Services, Manager of Legal Services, and Attorney for the Juvenile Officer. He received a Juris Doctorate degree from the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law in 1982.

"I have enjoyed working with so many wonderful people in my capacity as Juvenile Officer," Jackson said. "I am thankful to have the opportunity, as commissioner, to promote justice, family unity, and safety for children in our community."

Jackson will assume his new position on or about September 1st. He replaces Commissioner Geoffrey Allen who was appointed in 1993. Allen is retiring August 31.

Nancy Alemifar was appointed to Division 44. She is presently with the law firm of Husch Blackwell, where she has been employed since 1995, and serves as Senior Counsel "Pro Bono" attorney. Her experience also includes working as an Attorney for the Juvenile Officer of the Family Court from 1993 – 1995, and as a staff attorney for Legal Aid of Western Missouri from 1991 – 1993. She is a 1991 graduate of the University of Missouri – Kansas City School of Law.

"I am grateful and honored for the opportunity to serve the families of Jackson County as commissioner and look forward to my new role," Alemifar said.

Alemifar will join the Court on or about August 1st. She replaces Commissioner Molly M. Merrigan who was appointed in 1999. Merrigan is retiring on July 31.

The commissioners will hear matters pertaining to juveniles at the Family Court Division located at 625 E. 26th Street. They were each appointed to a four year term.

 

LAKC-YLS is now seeking applicants for the 2015-16 YLS Board of Directors. Interested candidates should complete an application (PDF of application in post) and return to Chris Mirakian by email (chris.mirakian@gmail.com) by June 22, 2015. Elections will be held on Thursday, June 25, 2015 at The Jacobson, 2050 Central ST, Kansas City MO 64108. Elections begin at 5:30pm.

The Lawyers Association of Kansas City (LAKC) was founded in 1935 to promote and advance the following objectives that are just as relevant today: the welfare of the public in the greater Kansas City community; the administration of justice; the science of jurisprudence; and the cordial and professional relations among the members of the greater Kansas City Bar.

The Young Lawyers Section of LAKC is comprised of members under 35 or who have graduated from law school within the past five years and maintain “service of public interest by advancing the role of the legal profession in serving the public” as a value.

 

 

LAKC-YLS 2015-16 Director Application.pdf

Join us for a happy hour to celebrate another successful year and to elect our officers and directors for 2015-16.

Thursday, May 28, 2015
5:30-7:00pm
The Cashew, 2000 Grand Blvd. KCMO 64108

There is no cost to attend and no registration required.

2015-16 Slate of officers/directors:

Clay Norkey, President

Brian Baggott, President-Elect

 Amy Luck, Secretary

Dan McClain, Treasurer

 

Catherine Bell

Cameron Garrison

Mike Hargens

Brandon Henry

Mark Iba

Mike Judy

Kristi Kingston

Anne Linton Pond Hendrickson

Lara Owens

Lindsay Todd Perkins

Eric Vernon

Tim West

Jennifer Wieman Earles

Katie Zogleman

Past-President: Mark Brennan

 

Recent events have raised concerns about how some municipal court divisions are resolving matters filed in those courts. The Supreme Court of Missouri is reviewing its rules governing certain aspects of municipal court divisions, including educational requirements for municipal judges and alleged conflicts of interest of judges and city prosecutors performing multiple tasks across multiple jurisdictions. Other interested bodies also are looking to improve municipal courts.

The Supreme Court is seeking specific suggestions from members of the bar and others about ways to improve the rules applicable to practice in Missouri’s municipal court divisions. Please send your suggestions to the Clerk of the Supreme Court by Friday, May 1, 2015. Suggestions should be sent to P.O. Box 150, Jefferson City, MO  65102.

The Circuit Court of Jackson County has adopted the following revised rules effective 4/17/15:

Rule 7.2 Duplicating Policy

Rule 33.5 Motions, How Filed and Considered
Rule 67.1.3 Implementation of Supreme Court Rule 33 Relating to Bail and Sureties

Copies of the revised rule may be obtained from the Department of Civil Records in Kansas City and Independence and on the Court’s web page at www.16thcircuit.org.

Pursuant to the “Reappointment Policy for the Family, Probate and Drug Court Commissioners,” adopted by the Court en banc in 2005, a retention committee has been named to review Commissioner Fry’s judicial performance in order to make a recommendation to the Court en banc regarding reappointment. The committee welcomes any relevant written documentation or information regarding the Commissioner’s performance. The members of the Reappointment Committee will privately review all responses in this matter. Although some responses may be shared with other members of the bench on a need to know basis, anonymity of the respondents will be guarded.

Please e-mail or fax your comments to Jeffrey A. Eisenbeis, Court Administrator, Circuit Court of Jackson County, no later than April 16, 2015. The fax number for Mr. Eisenbeis is 816 881-3164 and his e-mail address is Jeff.Eisenbeis@courts.mo.gov.

 

Lawyers Encouraging Academic Performance (LEAP) is looking for local volunteer attorneys interested in its Reading Buddies program, which is set to restart this upcoming spring 2015.  The attached handout provides a general overview of the program.  In short, we are seeking attorneys willing to volunteer periodically at Operation Breakthrough from January 21, 2015 through April 29, 2015.  The volunteers will serve with a team of other volunteers, and each team will read with children at Operation Breakthrough for one hour every other week. 

LEAP is a local not-for-profit foundation seeking to improve education in Kansas City.  LEAP's designated beneficiary is Operation Breakthrough, which serves underprivileged children in the greater Kansas City area.  Operation Breakthrough's mission is to help impoverished (and often homeless) children develop to their fullest potential.  LEAP is deeply invested with developing volunteer opportunities for attorneys at Operation Breakthrough.  If you are interested in volunteering to be a Reading Buddy this spring or have any questions, please contact one of the people listed below.

If you are interested in becoming a Reading Buddy, or would like more information about the Reading Buddies program, please contact:  Bryant Ash (bash@theipcenter.com), Matt Sparks (matt.sparks@bryancave.com), Sam Wenger (samantha.wenger@huschblackwell.com), or Judge Sill-Rogers (chrissillandcharlierogers@gmail.com).    

 

 

It’s time again for the LAKC-YLS Santa’s Snow Ball, which will be taking place on Thursday, December 11, 2014! This event provides an evening of fun for families staying in local homeless shelters during the holiday season. At the event, each child under the age of 18 receives a gift, everyone has dinner, and all enjoy many activities, including a visit and photo opportunity with Santa, face painting, craft-making, and story-telling. The law firm of Lathrop & Gage, 2345 Grand Avenue, Kansas City, Mo., has generously agreed to host the event, which will run from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.  Guests will attend the event in one of two time slots, from 5 to 6:30 p.m., or from 6:30 to 8 p.m.

LAKC-YLS is seeking volunteers and donations for this event, as detailed below.

VOLUNTEERS

At the event

December 11, 2014: We will need volunteers before, during, and after the event to decorate the venue, do activities with the children, visit with the families, help serve dinner, and then clean up at the end of the evening. The volunteers can sign up for either or both of the following shifts: Shift 1 – 4:30-6:30 p.m.; or Shift 2 – 6:30-8:30 p.m. If volunteers can help decorate during the afternoon, we will begin decorating around 3 p.m. Parking will be available in the parking garage attached to the Lathrop & Gage building. Please bring your parking ticket to the event to receive a parking voucher.

If you are interested in volunteering during the event, please contact Jessie McKinney at jamckinney@shb.com or (816) 559-0352.

 

Santa’s Hotline

December 15, 2014 – December 18, 2014: In conjunction with Santa’s Snow Ball, LAKC-YLS also conducts Santa’s Hotline. LAKC-YLS seeks volunteers to play Santa or Mrs. Claus to place calls to a child who is expecting a call from Santa or Mrs. Claus. The children are always very excited to hear a jolly ho-ho-ho, and it is sure to make their day! The calls are made from a volunteer’s home or office between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. on December 15, 2014, through December 18, 2014.

If you have any further questions regarding volunteering for Santa’s Hotline, or registering a child to receive a phone call from Santa or Mrs. Claus, please contact Anne Baggott at abaggott@littler.com or (816) 627-4410.

DONATIONS

In addition to volunteers, this event requires a substantial amount of resources. Please help us make the holiday season brighter for these children and families. Donations can be paid to the LAKC Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization, earmarked for Santa’s Snow Ball. Every donation is appreciated and goes directly to the support to this event (such as dinner for every attendee, presents for the children, and supplies for the activities).

If you would like to make a donation, please contact Nate Jones at njones@wcllp.com or (816) 701-1100. 

Amy J. Luck has joined the law firm of Fisher, Patterson, Sayler & Smith, L.L.P. as an associate attorney in the firm’s Overland Park office.

Ms. Luck received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Northern Iowa in 2002.  She graduated from the University of Iowa College of Law in 2005.  She has been in private practice in the Kansas City area since 2005.

Ms. Luck’s practice is focused on employment law and civil litigation.  She is licensed to practice in Kansas and Missouri and in the federal courts in Kansas and the Western District of Missouri. 

 

Steve Kyle became Seigfreid Bingham, P.C.’s new CEO effective Oct. 1. He succeeds Joe Hiersteiner, who has served as CEO of the firm since 2006. Hiersteiner will continue his full-time law practice with the firm.

In addition to his real estate and development practice at the firm, Kyle, who joined Seigfreid Bingham in 1990, served as President of the Lawyers Association of Kansas City in 2010-2011, and currently serves as Chairman of the City of Roeland Park, Kansas, Board of Zoning Appeals and on the Board of Trustees of Old Mission United Methodist Church in Fairway, Kansas.

“The firm is very pleased and fortunate that Steve will serve as our CEO,” said Joe Hiersteiner. “He has a deep understanding of the firm’s approach to extraordinary client service and of the internal and external processes necessary to provide that service.”

Kyle said one of his goals as CEO is to continue Seigfreid Bingham’s commitment to its founding principles.

“The firm has been successful because of our culture, which promotes innovative and efficient service to our clients and real caring for one another,” he said. “These principles are just as relevant today as they were when the firm was founded 40 years ago. By caring for our clients, our attorneys, our staff and the quality of our work, we have thrived and grown from a three-attorney firm to a firm of 43 attorneys. We will continue to build on that legacy.”

In addition to the management transition, the firm soon will relocate its offices from 911 Main to the Crown Center area. Renovation of the 30,000-square-foot space on the 10th floor of the 2323 Grand Boulevard office building has been underway for several months, and the firm is scheduled to move during the first week of November.

About Seigfreid Bingham: Founded in 1974, Seigfreid Bingham, P.C. is a full-service law firm based in Kansas City, Missouri. The firm represents a wide range of businesses and individuals from entrepreneurial start-ups to established companies of local, regional, national and international prominence. For more information, visit www.sb-kc.com.