Kate Zigtema

Bar / Professional Activity

• Kansas Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Continuing Legal Education Chair, 2014-present

Honors

• Top 40 under 40, National Trial Lawyers, 2014
• National Trial Lawyers, Top 40 under 40, 2015

Scholarly Lectures / Writings

• Being convicted of a crime and imprisoned unlawfully is not only unjust but immoral.  Obtaining relief for those individuals who were wrongly convicted or convicted by unconstitutional procedures is critical to restoring justice.  Teaching attorneys to access resources and tools for representation to enable them to fulfill their constitutional and ethical obligations is an honor.  It is also critical to assist other attorneys seeking to help clients who were not adequately represented to obtain relief in the post conviction process.  Topics covered include assisting clients in evaluating plea negotiations, thorough preparation and investigation of all potential defenses, and critical timelines to access relief., Point/Counter Point - Practical 60-1507 Advice, Kansas Association Of Criminal Defense Lawyers, 2016
• Child in Need of Care (CINC) proceedings often occur simultaneously to criminal prosecutions involving children.  Understanding the process for DCF investigations and Child In Need of Care proceedings provides access and understanding of evidence which may not always be available or provided in criminal prosecutions.  Having an attorney who is able to understand and access this confidential court and its records benefits individuals accused of a crime to prepare a defense.  As a Guardian Ad Litem, Ms. Zigtema is able to provide techniques to represent and investigate all aspects of the allegations., Child In Need of Care for Criminal Practiioners, Kansas Association Of Criminal Defense Lawyers, 2015
• Being subjected to an investigation by the Department of Children and Families for child abuse or neglect is a devasting event.  The decisions of the agency can have longstanding consequences personally and professionally.  Asserting and protecting the rights of individuals under investigation or subject to a finding of abuse is a difficult and obscure process that requires specialized knowledge and abilities., Substantiated: DCF Appeals, Kansas Bar Association, Appellate Practice Section, 2015
• Conviction of any crime has numerous collateral consequences, including the potential loss of one's right to possess a firearm as set out in the Second Amendment.  Understanding the right to possess a firearm after a conviction requires a detailed understanding of both state and federal law and agency regulations.  A few obscure exceptions could be the difference between lawful possession of a firearm and prosecution for a federal criminal offense., Annie Get Your Gun - Post Conviction Gun Rights, Criminal Defense Section, Kansas Bar Association, 2016

• Johnson County Bar Association
• Kansas Association Of Criminal Defense Lawyers
• Kansas Bar Association