Jay DeHardt, Attorney

Born in 1952 in Independence, Missouri, Mr. DeHardt is a lifelong area resident and currently lives in Kansas City, Missouri. He graduated from Van Horn High School in 1970, attended Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, and graduated from Rockhurst College in Kansas City, receiving a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in 1974. He attended the University of Missouri-Kansas City and received a Juris Doctor in 1977. He has actively practiced law since 1977 before the Courts of the State of Missouri, the Missouri Court of Appeals-Western District, the United States Federal District Court for the Western District of Missouri and the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. He is a former Jackson County, Missouri, Assistant Prosecuting Attorney and Assistant Public Defender. Mr. DeHardt is currently a shareholder in the firm of McQuain, DeHardt & Rosenbloom, P.C. and a partner in the Madison Law Building.

Mr. DeHardt represents individuals in matters involving dissolution and custody litigation, criminal law, DWI and traffic defense, death penalty defense, worker's compensation, personal injury and wrongful death claims and in defense of civil claims.

He is currently a member of the American Bar Association, the Missouri Bar Association, the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association, Eastern Jackson County Bar Association, Missouri Association of Trial Lawyers, Missouri Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, and National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. Mr. DeHardt has served in a variety of appointive and elective posts in legal professional groups. He is past President of the Missouri Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (1993-94), past Vice-Chairman (1992), Chairman (1993), Vice-Chairman (1998) and Chairman (1999) of the Family Law Committee of the KCMBA and a past member of the Small Firms/Solo Practitioner's Committee. He is a member of the Criminal Practice and Procedure Committee, the Fee Dispute Committee, the Continuing Legal Education Committee, the Bench Bar Committee, Long-Range Planning Committee, Membership Committee, Family Court Appointment Policy Committee, Family Court Rules Sub-Committee Circuit Court Docket Committee and an active participant in the "Voice of Justice" Program.

Mr. DeHardt served on the Jackson County Circuit Court's Case Flow Management Committee (1993-94), the ADR-Parent Education Sub-Committees to the Family Court Implementation Committee (1993-94) and on the Jackson County Circuit Court Advisory Committee. He is one of the Jackson County Circuit Court-approved Domestic Relations Mediators and a designated neutral in the Western District of Missouri "Early Assessment Program."

In 1996, Mr. DeHardt was appointed by the Kansas City Bar Foundation to serve on the Board of Directors of the Missouri Lawyers Trust Account Foundation (IOLTA). He has served as a member, as Treasurer and is currently the Past President of IOLTA.

Mr. DeHardt has served as a member-at-large of the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association Board of Directors for three terms (1995-96; 1997-00). He is currently the Secretary of the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association.

Mr. DeHardt is married and has five children.