Denise Kirby, Attorney

I have clients who are doctors, pilots, enlisted military or officers, nurses, truck drivers, or who hold professional licenses or jobs that require them to be able to drive or not have an alcohol or drug related driving conviction. It is very satisfying when I can help someone save their career. I have successfully gotten many cases dismissed or amended and have won a lot of license hearings over the past several years. Too many cases to narrow down to just one or two. My clients appreciate my hard work.

I am dedicated to being the best at what I do and knowing and doing everything I can to help my clients. There is no magic to what I do. It's just hard work and intellectual curiosity. When you are dedicated to doing your best, others see that.

This is such an important question. DWI is such a nuanced and complex area of law that I don't believe you can be the best unless almost your entire practiced is dedicated to it. Clients should ask a lot of questions about the attorney's experience in their particular situation, what percentage of their practice is dedicated to DWI defense, what they do to stay on top of new case law and DWI training, if they've completed the NHTSA DWI 24 hour SFST course, what their reputation is among DWI attorneys, if they teach other attorneys DWI defense, how often they try DWI cases, and if they WIN. Also ask who will be handling your case. There are a lot of "fake" awards out there attorneys can pay for, and I don't believe clients are aware of that. Sometimes it's hard to tell what's just fluff and marketing, so ask a lot of questions.

I think it's always important to know your judges and how they might see particular facts. It's also important to know prosecutors and how they might handle different things. Finally, it's important to be familiar with the police officers who regularly make DWI arrests. It's important to be familiar with their training, their standard procedures in making their arrests, and how they testify when they're on the witness stand.

My phone consultations tend to be very long. I ask a lot of questions. I provide information about the process of the license and criminal cases, but I can't give specific case information until much later, when I've had an opportunity to review all the videos and reports in a case.

It's very helpful if the client has any documentation they were provided at the time of their arrest or release from custody. It isn't required, but I'm able to give more information if I have that available. I ask a lot of questions.

I work incredibly hard and do my best for every single client. I am incredibly thorough, and I don't take the easy route. If I think a client has a good case, I am there for the fight. I teach DWI defense to other defense attorneys so they can better defense their clients.

Changing lives. A client thanking me and asking if they can give me a hug at the end of their case is very rewarding. I also have a lot of clients who realize they need to make changes in their lives, and I love it when they succeed. I enjoy hearing from prior clients when they reach out to thank me years later and let me know they're doing well and that I had a big impact on their lives.

This is not a nine to five job. I work a LOT. Outside of the law, I'm a huge Chiefs fan and attend most home games and some away games. I love hanging out with my family and friends, and I love to travel.

Because of the time required by my career, my community involvement is mostly through financial contributions to non-profits that have my heart. I also volunteer as a poll watcher during elections.

• The Missouri DWI Institute, LLC - President
  The Missouri Society for Criminal Justice - President
  Missouri Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers - Former Board of Directors and DWI Committee
  The Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association

• The Missouri Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers President's Award
  Named Best DWI Attorney - The Kansas City Star

• Challenging Prior Convictions in the Criminal Case
  Winning Administrative Hearings Using Only the Records
  The Criminal Basics of DWI Defense