My path to lawyering was a long and winding road. I majored in Film Studies (minored in Spanish) at the University of Kansas, worked in video production, marketing, retail, warehouses, and eventually election administration for the Kansas City Election Board prior to starting law school at UMKC.

The gaps in my resume, prior to law school, are scars from my battle with addiction during my twenties. In fact, I decided to go to law school while sitting on a rehab counselor’s couch nearly a decade ago. Today, I fight a different battle - one for a more compassionate and just world, for the voices that too often go unheard, and for the underdog.

During law school, I volunteered at the Mexico border advocating for asylum seekers, participated in UMKC’s short-lived expungement clinic, interned at the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office, and was on a mock trial team that won the regional championship in a national competition.

After earning my law degree, I represented indigent defendants facing eviction under the UMKC Tenants Assistance Initiative as a UMKC Truman Fellow. Shortly thereafter, shocking friends and family alike, I began a three-and-a-half year stint at the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office. After a year in the General Crimes Unit, I was promoted to a new hybrid position split between the Violent Crimes Unit and the Crime Strategies Unit. In that role, I assisted in charging and prosecuting violent crimes, mostly homicides, prioritized robust community engagement, and co-authored a report on police accountability and shortfalls in the criminal justice system. I helped to develop and implement a grant-funded violent crime reduction initiative as well as a grant-funded restorative diversion program through the Center for Conflict Resolution (CCR). I also prosecuted animal cruelty offenses for the office and provided trainings on animal abuse to law enforcement, lawyers, and community members.

I am practiced in jury trials, bench trials, criminal mediations and negotiations.

Additionally, I serve as a board member for Stop 22, a veteran suicide reduction non-profit, and as the vice-chair/incoming chair for UMKC Law’s Diverse Alumni Network. I remain active in the animal welfare community and will dedicate the majority of my pro-bono efforts to immigration cases for the foreseeable future.

If you’re an underdog facing the formidable power of the state, the government, or a bad boss, I will fight for you. I was an underdog once, too.