RES IPSA UMKC School of Law Alumni Magazine | Fall 2016 Maneuvering Change in a Digital Age How technology is changing the way we practice FROM THE DEAN RES IPSA UMKC School of Law Alumni Magazine | Fall 2016 Technology is a fact of life. Whether moving from horse-drawn carriages to autonomous RES IPSA (Latin for “It Speaks for Itself”) vehicles, typewriter to computer, or telegraph is published by the UMKC School of to cell phone, each of these developments Law, with financial support from the Law not only brought about major changes in Foundation, for the benefit of alumni, friends and colleagues. contents our daily life, but also spawned other major technologies. One of my periodic Sunday Contact us morning enjoyments is to look at the Best The Editorial Board of Res Ipsa welcomes your comments and suggestions for Buy ad in the newspaper and ask myself how future stories. FEATURES Please send news and address corrections to: Res Ipsa Editorial Board, many of the devices shown are things I don’t UMKC School of Law, 500 E. 52nd St., Kansas City, MO 64110 [email protected] | Fax: 816-235-5276 | law.umkc.edu 4 Brave New World understand, and how many didn’t even exist a Individuals with speech or hearing impairments may call Relay Missouri few years ago. at 800-735-2966 (TTY). Choosing the right tools as you foray into the cloud This issue of Res Ipsa is about how Administration Ellen Y. Suni, Dean technological change has impacted the practice Barbara Glesner Fines, Executive Associate Dean Jeffrey Thomas, Associate Dean of law. Much of the focus is on how forward- Allen Rostron, Associate Dean Tom Green, Administrative Manager 9 TECHNOLOGY AND THE LEGAL looking lawyers have marshaled technology to their advantage in their professional Lydia Dagenais, Director of Admissions Daniel McCarroll, Director of Continuing Legal Education lives. We have made a commitment to prepare our new graduates with the technology Kirk Baughan, Director of Development PROFESSION they will need in practice, and this issue provides our alumni with an opportunity to Michael Robak, Chief Technology Officer Paul D. Callister, Director of Law Library How technology is changing the job landscape Ashley Swanson-Hoye, Director of Student Services learn from other alumni who are on the leading edge. Cary Powers, Alumni and Constituent Relations Officer for attorneys Lawyers as a group tend to be “late adopters” of new technologies, and I think that Alyssa Baker, Manager of Marketing and Communications has negatively affected the profession. This issue is about what’s happening now, and Res Ipsa staff Project Manager: Hallie Spencer how today’s lawyers, if not already using available technology, can get on board. You Art Direction/Design: Jill Nelson don’t need to be a computer scientist to effectively use technology in your practice, and Photography: Janet Rogers, Dan Videtich Photography 14 Year of Technology the ability to adequately serve clients and to compete in today’s legal marketplace is UMKC continues to look for innovative UMKC Law Foundation technological applications in law rapidly making it imperative that lawyers keep up in this area. EXECUTIVE OFFICERS For those of you who are ahead of the game, you might be asking, “How come Lajuana Counts (J.D. ’88), President Brian Gaddy (J.D. ’94), Vice President Professor Chris Hoyt you didn’t address artificial intelligence, or big data, or other potentially disruptive of Resources and Leadership, Board Kent O. Hyde (J.D. ’84) Secretary Thomas Hyde (J.D. ’75) 17 Alumni Award Winners technologies that are beginning to affect us and will have major impacts in the future?” Scott Bethune (J.D. ’88), Vice Julia Kitsmiller (J.D. ’02) Featuring Jean Peters Baker, 2016 UMKC President of Development and Joan Klosterman (J.D. ’88) Good question. The answer will be coming in the next issue when we focus on the Capital Erlene Krigel (J.D. ’79) School of Law Alumni Award winner and UMKC Erin Kobler (J.D. ’03), Vice President Robert D. Litz (J.D. ’81) future of the profession. of Alumni and Constituent Relations David Mayer (J.D. ’92) Law Foundation awardees Brett Burmeister (J.D. ’06), Vice Mira Mdivani (J.D. ’99) Speaking of the future, I wanted to let you know, if you had not heard already, President of Marketing and Ross Nigro (J.D. ’92) Communications Tom O’Loughlin (J.D. ’75) that I have notified the provost of my intention to step down as dean by no later than Gary Gose (J.D. ’97), Treasurer Lisa Weixelman (J.D. ’82) the end of this academic year. This is my thirteenth year as dean, and I now rank J.R. Hobbs (J.D. ’81), Past Lisa Westergaard (J.D. ’03) President eighth in length of tenure in my current deanship out of 209 law deans around the EMERITUS TRUSTEES BOARD OF TRUSTEES James Bartimus (J.D. ’77) country. I think it is time for new leadership, and our faculty executive committee and Christine Albano (J.D. ’96) Steve Burmeister (J.D. ’76) Mike Albano (J.D. ’68) Hon. Fernando Gaitan (J.D. ’74) the provost are looking at how best to handle the transition to an interim dean and, Scott Aripoli (J.D. ’07) Hon. Gene Martin (J.D. ’53) Jack Bangert (J.D. ’76) Robert Martin (J.D. ’53) eventually, a new dean. Steve Becker (J.D. ’96) Hon. Ann Mesle (J.D. ’72) Hon. Stephen Bough (J.D. ’97) William Prugh (J.D. ’69) I am confident our law school is ready for the future, and I know I am ready for Debbie Brooks (J.D. ’01) Marti Schach (J.D. ’82) some R&R and the opportunity to get back to teaching and some projects that have Hon. S. Margene Burnett (J.D. ’87) Larry Schaffer (J.D. ’76) Mara Cohara (J.D. ’01) Arthur H. Stoup (J.D. ’50) been sitting around for a long time. I have very much enjoyed the privilege of serving Stephen Cosentino (J.D. ’97) Jim Tippin (J.D. ’64) Professor S. Rafe Foreman R. Lawrence Ward (J.D. ’61) as dean of the law school I love, and I thank you for the support so many of you Hon. Jon Gray (J.D. ’76) Robert Welch (J.D. ’65) Tom Hankins (J.D. ’77) Gene Voigts (J.D. ’64) provide in dollars, volunteer hours and other assistance. I look forward to the next Charnissa Holliday-Scott (J.D. ’11) issue where we can talk not only about the future of the profession, but the future of our law school as well. Law Alumni Association OFFICERS Mark Gilmore, (J.D. ’02) Erin Kobler (J.D. ’03), President Ashley Grace, (J.D. ’14) Tony Miller (J.D. ’01), Vice President Blake Heath, (J.D. ’09) Ashley Atwell (J.D. ’08), Secretary/ Desarae Harrah, (J.D. ’05) Treasurer Julia Kitsmiller, (J.D. ’02) Kristi Burmeister (J.D. ’07), Joe Kronawitter (J.D, ’99) IN EVERY ISSUE ON THE COVER Immediate Past President Abe Kuhl (J.D.’08) Brian Madden, (J.D. ’92) Steve Cosentino BOARD OF DIRECTORS Megan McCurdy, (J.D. ’07) Ellen Y. Suni Scott Aripoli (J.D ’07) Pat McInerney, (J.D. ’90) 19 Briefs (J.D. ’97), Partner Hon. Stephen Bough, (J.D. ’97) Teresa Moore, (J.D. ’92) at Stinson Tyson Bramley, (J.D. ‘14) Ross Nigro, (J.D. ’92) Mara Cohara, (J.D. ’01) Edward “Kip” Robertson, (J.D. ’06) LAW 16051692 21 Alumni Events Leonard Street Lajuana Counts, (J.D. ’88) Anthony Sicola, (J.D. ’01) LLP. Photo by Brennan Delaney (J.D. ’08) Shaun Stallworth, (J.D. ’08) Hon. Kenneth Garrett III. (J.D. ’02) Jared Welch (J.D. ’02) 33 Alumni Spotlight Dan Videtich. UMKC LAW FOUNDATION Annual FUND Give Every Year. Impact Every Day. LAW FOUNDATION ANNUAL FUND Your generosity fuels new programs that make a difference BRAVE in the classroom and the legal community. Your annual gift creates opportunities for our students and faculty and elevates the School of Law's commitment to excellence. NEW Help prepare the next generation of lawyers who will make an impact in the community. WORLD Please make your gift today. law.umkc.edu/give Choosing the right tools as you foray into the cloud by Elizabeth Murray Photo by Janet Rogers echnology weaves its way into has come — seasoned attorneys talk about almost everything we do these how they wrote out hourly billing by days — especially in business. hand. It’s exciting to see how technology is TThe storage of files, the way changing our world.” people interact in the workplace and with Sara Rittman (J.D. ’81), who served as clients, and how documents or contracts Missouri Legal Ethics Counsel for nine are signed and stored all now involve vari- years prior to opening her own firm, says ous aspects of technology. And law firms the size of the firm and the nature of the are no different. practice have a lot to do with the extent to I am eternally grateful for my Trial Advocacy Scholarship “I feel very fortunate to be working in which the practice is going digital. and the UMKC Law Foundation. They believed in me when the legal field now,” says Joe McClendon “There are attorneys who don't person- it was difficult to believe in myself. (J.D. ’12), a commercial and transactional ally use email or computers,” she says. “ associate attorney with Polsinelli in Kansas “But there are also attorneys who do as - Lydia Townsend, J.D. Candidate, Class of 2017 City. “It is amazing how far technology much as they can electronically.