Alumni Notes

Sep. 9, 2025

Brett Emison, ’02, named KC Metro Lawyer of the Year

Brett Emison (JD ’02), has been named by Best Lawyers in America as the “Lawyer of the Year” for the Kansas City metro area in the category of product liability litigation for plaintiffs. Brett has been previously recognized by Best Lawyers for the past ten years in the categories of personal injury litigation for plaintiffs, products liability, and railroad. Brett’s Lawyer of the Year honor will be announced in the 2026 edition, which comes out at the end of this year. Brett’s legal practice focuses almost exclusively on catastrophic injury and death cases, as well as mass torts and other…

Sep. 2, 2025

Darrion Walker, 14, defends dissertation

Darrion Walker, ’14, successfully defended his dissertation, “The Mythic Underpinnings of Originalism: A Rhetorical and Legal Analysis,” completing his Ph.D. in Communication Studies (emphasis: Legal Rhetoric and Political Communication) at the University of Kansas. This project has been years in the making—born out of Walker’s love for law, rhetoric, and storytelling. It interrogates how U.S. Supreme Court opinions are not only persuasive tools of legal argument but also vehicles of myth (sacred narratives treated as true), shaping our collective imagination of justice.

Sep. 2, 2025

Kristen Evans, ’22, Adunni Gueye, ’23, named “Ones to Watch”

Kristen Evans, ’22 and Adunni Gueye, ’23, both associates at Spencer Fane, named “Ones to Watch” on the 2026 Best Lawyers in America list. Click here to read more.

June 12, 2025

Kathryn Bakich, ’85, given the Peggy Browning Award

Kathryn Bakich, ’85, Senior Vice President of The Segal Group, Inc., was given the Peggy Browning Award at their recent awards ceremony. The award is to recognize those who advance the protection of workers and their families, and help to encourage young lawyer to enter the field of labor relations.

June 10, 2025

Melissa Cullman Cosgrove ,’13, named U.S. Supreme Court Fellow

Melissa Cullman Cosgrove, ’13, was named a 2025-2026 U.S. Supreme Court Fellow assigned to the Federal Judicial Center, the education and research agency for the federal courts. Cosgrove joins the Supreme Court Fellows Program from the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, where she was a career law clerk for the Honorable Stephen R. Welby. She previously clerked for the Honorable Stephen R. Clark and the Honorable E. Richard Webber of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri. She was also an Assistant Attorney General in the Missouri Attorney General’s Office. Cosgrove…

May 12, 2025

Jessica Norris, ’02, named partner at Fox Rothschild

Jessica M. Norris has joined Fox Rothschild in Kansas City as Partner in the Corporate Department.

April 15, 2025

Jean Dickman, ’01, Promoted to Partner of Jones Robb

McLEAN, Va. – April 15, 2025– Jones Robb announced the promotion of Jean Dickman to a partner of the firm. Recognized by several publications, including IAM Patent 1000 and Managing IP Stars, as an outstanding IP practitioner, Dickman joined Jones Robb in 2022 when it acquired the firm she founded, Kies IP. Previously, Dickman was a partner at an AmLaw firm, where she advised clients in patent preparation, patent prosecution, and IP due diligence. Her elevation to partner reflects Jones Robb’s commitment to investing in talent and resources for the firm’s Computer Technology and Telecommunications practice. Dickman is a natural fit;…

April 4, 2025

Elizabeth Wiles, ’17, earns Governor’s Award for Excellence in Education

Elizabeth Wiles, ’17, received the 2025 Governor’s Award for Excellence in Education from Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe. Wiles is an assistant professor of criminal justice studies and director of interdisciplinary studies and student research at Truman State University.

March 24, 2025

Forest Dearing, ’24, earnes New York Bar award

Forest Dearing, ’24, received recognition by the New York State Bar Association’s Labor and Employment Section: Dr. Emanuel Stein and Kenneth D. Stein Memorial Writing Competition for his article No Exit: Employee Noncompete Agreements in American Healthcare. Read more about Forest here.