KC LEGAL is pleased to announce the beneficiaries of our scholarship program for the 2015-2016 law school term. Each received a $750 scholarship to help defray the cost of their education by demonstrating their commitment to LGBT equality.  The lucky recipients are:

• Melanie Van Leeuwen,  UMKC Law
• Christina Sitgreaves ,  UMKC Law
• Travis Freeman, KU Law
• Lindsay Schermer, KU Law

Our scholarship program is open annually to law students from MU, KU, and UMKC. Congratulations to Melanie, Christina, Travis and Lindsay!

The City of Kansas City, Missouri Law Department has open positions in its Corporate/Litigation Section and the City Prosecutor’s Office (with an emphasis on Domestic Violence cases in the 1^st year).   The starting salary is $58,176 per year plus excellent benefits. Candidates must submit an on-line application at http://kcmo.gov/humanresources/careers-2/.  Along with the application, please submit a cover letter that states the  position you are interested in (or both) , resume, and Law School Transcript (with class rank).  Interviewees will need three references and a writing sample.  REQUIRES graduation from an accredited school of law.   Please contact Jim Brady at (816) 513-3101 if you have any questions.

Today we send out our heart-felt and hearty congratulations to all supporters of marriage equality everywhere!  Triumph is ours to revel in!

Thank you, Justice Kennedy, for these words from your opinion which so clearly explain the essence of the matter:

“No union is more profound than marriage, for it embodies the highest ideals of love, fidelity, devotion, sacrifice, and family. In forming a marital union, two people become something greater than once they were. As some of the petitioners in these cases demonstrate, marriage embodies a love that may endure even past death. It would misunderstand these men and women to say they disrespect the idea of marriage. Their plea is that they do respect it, respect it so deeply that they seek to find its fulfillment for themselves. Their hope is not to be condemned to live in loneliness, excluded from one of civilization’s oldest institutions. They ask for equal dignity in the eyes of the law. The Constitution grants them that right.“

Amy Fowler and Jim Breckenridge represented KC LEGAL in St. Louis at the Diversity Summit on May 19 & 20. Important questions were asked: how do we properly vet judicial candidates and lend them our support? To what degree is implicit bias still present in our lives and profession? What can we do to increase diversity in the courtroom and boost public confidence in our legal system? Are we employing best practices in admitting law students and incorporating diverse lawyers into the profession? Thanks to all the participants including Kimberly Norwood, Ellen Suni, Stephanie Scharf, Michelle Wimes, Lisa Tatum, Michael Minton, Willie Epps, John Amman and Judges Draper, Quigless, Jackson, Farragut-Hemphill and Wimes for your commitment to equality and for enlightening us on what we’ve done well and on what we still have to do!

KC LEGAL is happy to offer three $1000 scholarships to law students at KU, MU, and UMKC.  One scholarship will be awarded to each school.  Interested students should contact their school’s scholarships office for more information. Deadline is June 1 and the contest is open to all current first and second year students.

The Midwest Alternative Family Alliance and KC LEGAL joined together on March 7 for a community centered educational presentation to inform attendees on LGBT legal issues. Two of our board members, Aaron House and Madeline Johnson, presented alongside other members of the legal community and were instrumental in the event’s success. Topics included family law, name changes, estate planning, and others. Our thanks to the speakers, organizers, and attendees!

UMKC’s annual Pride Breakfast was a smashing success this year! KC LEGAL had the pleasure of hosting a table and hearing keynote speaker Tony Kushner expound on his creative process, politics, and the importance of supporting youth on the morning of March 12, 2015. All together, over $80,000 was raised to fund scholarships for LGBT students at UMKC, particularly those in crisis who have been abandoned by their families.

On March 6, 2015, several of our board members attended the Diversity Banquet hosted for the first time by the LGBT student group at KU Law. Our legal community made a strong showing in support of the event and more money was raised than ever before. Bravo to Leah Terranova for organizing the event and to all of the sponsors!