About jbreckenridge

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!