KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – Emily Desbien works as a judicial law clerk at the Western Jackson County Court of Appeals, helping the judge research and write legal issues. A recent graduate of the UMKC School of Law, she’s not originally from Kansas City, but knew she wanted to lay roots here.
“My job is important because it allows judges here at the Court of Appeals to make really informed decisions,” said Desbien. “Some of the attorneys in the community say this is the best way to get acquainted with your legal community: to do a clerkship and see lots of legal issues here in Jackson County. You get a taste of different areas of the law before you go out and practice yourself.”
Desbien says she’s always been interested in helping children and families from a legal standpoint and through volunteering. She began looking into volunteering at a NICU, or neonatal intensive care unit, after an experience in law school.
“I had the opportunity to represent a father who was going to obtain custody. She was born in the NICU,” said Desbien. “After I graduated, I started looking into ways that I could give back to the community and working at the NICU felt like a really interesting experience paired with my law experience.”…