“In the summertime, when the weather is hot, you can stretch right up and touch the sky” – Toni Morrison
A Letter From Our President:
Judge Lajuana M. Counts
Hello and greetings to you all!
The 2024 FBA National Conference opens in just over a month, on September 5-7! I hope to see many of you at the conference because it’s going to be one filled with exciting CLE programs, amazing speakers, celebrating the accomplishments of FBA members, and just plain having fun! If you have not already registered for the conference, please do so and join us in showing our out-of-town colleagues how wonderful this town is and how much we appreciate the Federal Bar Association being here.
Just as a reminder that the day before the conference kick-off, on Wednesday, September 4, we will have the 2024 FBA Civics Day where FBA membership will team up with federal judges to share civics education with high school students throughout the metropolitan area. This program is only successful because of your participation, so please sign up. There is a link in the FBA Connection newsletter to learn more and get involved!
Our chapter also has an upcoming CLE webinar on Jury Selection in Media-Intensive Cases, on Wednesday, August 21. Our president-elect, Blake Shuart, has secured some national speakers to participate in this roundtable discussion. More information about this CLE is in this newsletter.
With my term wrapping up, I want to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of you for your commitment to the FBA and this chapter. It’s not easy to add something else to your already overflowing plates, but you’ve made time to be involved in making this a successful year. So, cheers and a heartfelt “Thank You” to you all!
I hope to see you at our next chapter meeting, via Zoom, on Thursday, August 1, at 4:00p.m. Also, I look forward to being able to talk with you in person at the national conference!
2024 FBA ANNUAL MEETING AND CONVENTION! HOSTED BY FBA-Kan/WDMO
The Kansas and Western District of Missouri Chapter is excited to host the FBA 2024 Annual Meeting & Convention in Kansas City, MO. Conveniently located between both coasts, we invite you to enjoy the Midwest KC charm. From our vibrant arts scene to finger-licking BBQ, our city is calling your name.
CLE sessions will feature a variety of legal topics that pique the interest of attorneys in a focused practice area, or want to expand their knowledge in other specialties;
Celebrate the accomplishments of FBA members during three awards luncheons and welcome the FY25 National President on Saturday’s Installation Luncheon;
Embrace the what’s unique about the local city with evening social events, including the WWI Museum on Thursday night and Tom’s Town Distillery on Friday night.
The FBA Chapter for Kansas and Western District of Missouri and Kansas City Metro School Districts are partnering to present the fourth annual Civics Day on September 4, the day before the association’s Annual Meeting and Convention officially begins. Please email Danielle Atchison at datchison@uslegalimmigration.com if you’d like to volunteer to present in September OR you know a school who would like to have a speaker that day.
• THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5 • Welcome Reception | National WWI Museum and Memorial
Hosted by the Kansas and Western District of Missouri Chapter – Sponsored by Berkowitz Oliver LLP
• FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 6 • 70th Anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education:
A Landmark in Legal History
Presented by the Kansas and Western District of Missouri Chapter in partnership with the Alternative Dispute Resolution Section, Civil Rights Law Section, Diversity & Inclusion Committee and Labor & Employment Law Section
• SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 7 • National Council Meeting
Awards: Newsletter Recognition, Section & Division Recognition, Chapter Community Outreach, Chapter Presidential Excellence, Chapter of the Year, Outstanding Chapter Leader(s)
– Save The Date! – UMKC School of Law Student Federal Bar Association Judicial Reception
The UMKC Student Federal Bar Association, in collaboration with the Professional and Career Development Center, invites you to kick off the fall 2024 semester at our 8th annual Welcome Back Event & Judicial Reception.
We are excited to bring you this unique opportunity to connect with local judges, attorneys, law clerks, and students. *Please note that judges are encouraged to bring their clerks.
When: 9/12/2024, 5:30pm-7:30pm
Where:
UMKC School of Law, Student Lounge
500 E 52nd Street
Kansas City, MO 64110
Thank you to Husch Blackwell for their sponsorship of this event.
Event Spotlight:
Law Day 2024
By Danielle Atchison
Our Chapter again hosted Law Day presentations throughout Kansas and Western Missouri during the week of May 1. This year we had more than a dozen lawyers speak to several hundred students, including speaking to 250 7th graders at Hays Middle School. We spoke to students in Belton, Kansas City (KS and MO), Independence, Topeka, Olathe, and Hays, KS. Our presenters consisted of federal judges, prosecutors, public defenders, corporate attorneys, solo practitioners, and big firm lawyers. This event, which occurred throughout a week, had lawyers/judges going into middle school and high school classrooms to talk about being a lawyer and the evolution of voting rights. We are so grateful for the opportunity to connect the bench/bar to our community and make sure students feel comfortable talking about big constitutional topics that affect their lives as well as have experience speaking with those that facilitate the justice systems in their communities.
Please join us in sending a big thank you to:
Volunteer Presenters: Hammons Hepner, Kevin Breer, Stephanie Lopez, Laurel Stevenson, Tuck Duncan, Patrick Waters, Eli Dodge, David Trevino, Judge James, Susan Sposato, Judge Howard, and Wendy Rohleder-Sook.
Teachers/schools who invited us to speak: Belton High School, Pembroke Hill School, Van Horn High School, Farm School KC, Topeka Center for Advanced Learning and College Prep, Turner High School, Olathe Mission Trail Middle School, Hays Middle School.
We hope to continue to grow this program in the years to come!
Heads up/looking forward: We are hosting a similar event, National Civics Day, on Wednesday, 9/4/24 in conjunction with the FBA Annual Meeting and Convention.Please email Danielle Atchison at datchison@uslegalimmigration.com if you’d like to volunteer to present in September OR you know a school who would like to have a speaker that day.
Event Spotlight:
FBA “Brown Bag” Lunch Event with Judge David Gregory Kays
On May 17th, 2024 the FBA Kan/WDMO held a “Brown Bag” lunch event with Judge David Gregory Kays. The event was well attended participants from a diverse group of firms and we had a great roundtable discussion.
Special thanks to Robert Calbi for setting this up! Contact Robert Calbi at r.calbi@gmail.com if you are interested in being placed on the brown bag lunch distribution list.
Two highly respected and experienced trial attorneys (Richard “Dick” Harpootlian, Esq. and Roberta “Robbie” Kaplan, Esq. ) will address Jury Selection in Media-Intensive Cases. This webinar will assist lawyers who have never tried a media-intensive case in preparing for their first voir dire when they do eventually try one. In addition, all lawyers who try cases and pick juries will learn how to utilize principles and lessons learned for jury selection as well as more about the trial process itself.
Presented by the Civil Rights Law Section, the Federal Litigation Section, and the Kansas and Western District of Missouri Chapter.
The Kansas and Western District of Missouri Chapter is excited to host the FBA 2024 Annual Meeting & Convention in Kansas City, MO. Conveniently located between both coasts, we invite you to enjoy the Midwest KC charm. From our vibrant arts scene to finger-licking BBQ, our city is calling your name.
CLE sessions will feature a variety of legal topics that pique the interest of attorneys in a focused practice area, or want to expand their knowledge in other specialties;
Celebrate the accomplishments of FBA members during three awards luncheons and welcome the FY25 National President on Saturday’s Installation Luncheon;
Embrace the what’s unique about the local city with evening social events, including the WWI Museum on Thursday night and Tom’s Town Distillery on Friday night.
The UMKC Student Federal Bar Association, in collaboration with the Professional and Career Development Center, invites you to kick off the fall 2024 semester at our 8th annual Welcome Back Event & Judicial Reception.
We are excited to bring you this unique opportunity to connect with local judges, attorneys, law clerks, and students. *Please note that judges are encouraged to bring their clerks.
Join us on Zoom the first Thursday of each month at 4:00pm for monthly chapter meetings – open to all members! For more information please email Fedbarkanmo@gmail.com or visit https://fedbar.org/ to join!
