Kim Benjamin

Bar / Professional Activity

• 1996: Member, The Missouri Bar
• 2021–Present: Board of Regents, National College for DUI Defense
• 2006–Present: Past President and Board Member, Missouri Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
• 2006–Present: Board Member and CLE Chair, Missouri Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
• 2013–2015: Website and Social Media Chair, Missouri Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
• 2013–2014: President, Missouri Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
• 2015–Present: Vice President, Missouri Society of Justice – Missouri DWI Lawyers
• 2015–Present: Chair, DWI Special Committee, Missouri Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
• 2017–Present: Chair, Bernard Edelman DWI Law & Science Seminar, Missouri Bar and Missouri Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
• 2018–Present: Board Member and Social Chair, Cass County Bar Association
• Member, Association of Women Lawyers
• 2002–Present: Member, Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association
• 2002–Present: Member, Cass County Bar Association
• 2000–Present: Staff Member, Graduate, and F Warrior Board Member, Gerry Spence’s Trial Lawyers College
• 2008–Present: Secretary, Harrisonville Business Women

Verdicts / Settlements (Case Results)

• 2013: Acquittal following a shaken baby syndrome jury trial.
• 2014: Acquittal following a felony DWI jury trial.
• 2015: Acquittal following a child abuse jury trial.
• 2016: Acquittal following a child abuse jury trial.
• 2017: More than 41 DWI charges dismissed or amended.
• 2018: 44 DWI charges dismissed or amended through the Missouri Department of Revenue process.
• 2018: Four DWI trials resulting in acquittals.
• 2019: Obtained the largest verdict in Cass County history for an employment discrimination plaintiff: $1.35 million.
• 2019: Nine DWI charges dismissed or amended to non-DWI offenses.
• 2019: Dismissal of two serious sex-related charges and a favorable jury verdict on two additional sex-related charges.
• 2020: Dismissal of a felony drug charge against an innocent client.
• 2024: Acquittal on a second-offense DWI charge following trial.
• 2024: Successfully defended several drivers in administrative hearings against the Missouri Department of Revenue following DWI arrests and breath or blood alcohol tests exceeding 0.08, taking the cases to trial.
• 2025: Dismissal of multiple DWI charges in Missouri courts.
• 2025: Multiple DWI charges amended to non-moving violations.
• 2026: Dismissal of a DWI charge involving an accident following a full investigation and legal research.

Videos

• 2019: Interviewed on Legal Tech and Technology with Bob Ambrogi, a podcast focused on technology for solo and small law firms., https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRhtkDc35cA
• 2019: Guest DWI expert on Aimee the Attorney Answers, discussing Missouri DWI laws and educating the public., https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2GdRxAhFXE
• 2018: Guest on Small Firm Forum with Rob Malone, discussing business management and marketing issues for solo and small law firms., https://www.dwicriminallawcenter.com/design/podcasts/Kim-Benjamin-on-the-Fundamental-Skills-to-Help-Trial.mp3

Special Licenses / Certifications

• 2025: NHTSA-trained in conducting Standardized Field Sobriety Tests.
• 2012: NHTSA-trained in conducting Standardized Field Sobriety Tests.

Pro bono / Community Service

• 2020–Present: Member, Missouri Supreme Court’s Task Force on Criminal Justice.
• 2016–2020: Governor-appointed member, Missouri Ethics Commission.
• 2017–2019: Volunteer Attorney, Cass County Youth Court.
• 2017–2022: Board Member, Central Missouri Citizens Advisory Board.
• 2019–2021: Board Member, Cass Community Health Foundation.

Educational Background

• Gerry Spence Trial Lawyers College, Dubois, Wyoming, 2000
• University Of Missouri At Columbia, Missouri, Bachelor’s Degree In Political Science With Honors In Interdisciplinary Studies Spanning Speech Communication And Psychology, Sorority: Kappa Alpha Theta, 1993
• Harrisonville High School, Harrisonville, Missouri, 1988

Scholarly Lectures / Writings

• The George Washington University Law School Intellectual Property Law Journal — Notes Editor.
• Delivered more than 75 presentations throughout her career, teaching lawyers through the Missouri Bar, MACDL, KCMBA, UMKC Law School, NCDD, Missouri State Public Defender System, TLC, and criminal defense organizations nationwide.
• Faculty, National College for DUI Defense Serious Science Program, Arlington, Texas, teaching for several years.
• 2007 — Presenter, Trial Skills, Missouri Bar Solo & Small Firm Conference.
• 2008–Present — Instructor, Trial College for Public Defenders, Missouri State Public Defender System.
• 2008 — Presenter, How-to Series: Trial Techniques, Missouri Bar.
• 2009 — Presenter, How-to Series: Traffic & DWI, Missouri Bar.
• 2010 — Presenter, How-to Series: Traffic & DWI, Missouri Bar.
• 2010 — Presenter, How-to Series: Jury Instructions in Criminal Cases, Missouri Bar.
• 2012 — Presenter, Defending Sex Crimes in High-Profile Cases in the Media, National Child Abuse Defense and Resource Center, Las Vegas, Nevada.
• 2015 — Presenter, Voir Dire in DWI Cases, Missouri Bar and Missouri Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.
• 2016 — Presenter, What You Need to Know About the 2017 Criminal Code Revisions, Missouri DWI Defense Institute and Missouri Society for Justice.
• 2016 — Presenter and Trial Skills Coach, Serious Science for Serious DWI Lawyers, National College of DUI Defense, Arlington, Texas.
• 2017–Present — Faculty Member, National College for DUI Defense.
• 2017 — Presenter and Trial Skills Coach, Serious Science for Serious DWI Lawyers, National College of DUI Defense, Fort Collins, Colorado.
• 2018 — Organizer and Speaker, Missouri Bar and Missouri Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers DWI Seminar — Civil Procedure in Driver’s License Cases Related to DWI Arrests.
• July 2018 — Presenter, How to Avoid Ethical Violations as a Criminal and DWI Defense Lawyer, Bernard Edelman DWI Law & Science Seminar, Lake Ozark, Missouri.
• 2018 — Presenter, Marijuana and DUID Cases, National College of DUI Defense, Hollywood, California.
• 2019 — Speaker, DWI Seminar for Travis Jones, Kansas City — New Ethical Requirements Concerning Diversity and Bias.
• 2019 — Organizer and Speaker, Missouri Bar and Missouri Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers DWI Seminar — How to Ethically Investigate Your DWI Cases.
• 2019 — Presenter, Defending High-Profile Sex Crimes, National Child Abuse Defense & Resource Center.
• 2019 — Presenter, SFST Training on the 2018 NHTSA Manual, including cultural competency and diversity requirements.
• April 2019 — Presenter, Understanding Driver’s License Consequences in Missouri, Missouri State Public Defender System Annual Training Seminar, Kansas City, Missouri.
• April 2019 — Presenter, How to Get an Expungement for a Client in Missouri, Missouri State Public Defender System Annual Training Seminar, Kansas City, Missouri.
• 2019 — Presenter, Anatomy of a DWI Investigation, Missouri Bar and Missouri Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.
• 2019 — Presenter, Basics of DWI Defense, Cass County Bar Association.
• 2019 — Presenter and Trial Skills Coach, Serious Science for Serious DWI Lawyers, National College for DUI Defense, Arlington, Texas.
• 2020 — Presenter at two free seminars for attorneys regarding Medical Marijuana and Criminal Laws.
• 2020 — Organizer and Presenter, Cass County Bar CLE — Ethical Remote Work and Paperless Law Practice.
• September 2021 — Presenter and Trial Skills Coach, Serious Science for Serious DWI Lawyers, National College for DUI Defense, Arlington, Texas.
• 2026 — Speaker, National College for DUI Defense Winter Session, Nashville, Tennessee — AI in DUI Defense.
• 2022 — Speaker, Missouri Bar and Missouri Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers Bernard Edelman DWI Law & Science Seminar — Storytelling & Trial Skills.
• June 2022 — Presenter and Trial Skills Coach, Serious Science for Serious DWI Lawyers, National College for DUI Defense, Arlington, Texas.
• 2023 — Speaker, Pennsylvania Criminal Defense Lawyers Association — Trial Skills.
• 2023 — Speaker, California DUI Defense Lawyers Association — Storytelling and Trial Skills.
• 2023 — Speaker, Missouri Bar and Missouri Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers Bernard Edelman DWI Law & Science Seminar — Driver’s License Consequences After DWI Arrests.
• June 2023 — Presenter and Trial Skills Coach, Serious Science for Serious DWI Lawyers, National College for DUI Defense, Arlington, Texas.
• 2024 — Speaker, Missouri Bar and Missouri Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers Bernard Edelman DWI Law & Science Seminar — Closing Arguments & Trial Skills Using TLC and David Ball Methods.
• 2024 — Speaker, Missouri Bar and Missouri Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers Bernard Edelman DWI Law & Science Seminar — The Business of DWI Defense for New Lawyers & Paralegals.
• June 2024 — Speaker, The Business of Running a Law Firm, Missouri Bar Solo & Small Firm Conference.
• June 2024 — Speaker, DWI Defense for Beginners, KCMBA Webinar.
• July 2024 — Speaker and Workshop Trainer, Demonstration of Closing Arguments, National College for DUI Defense Summer Session.
• August 2024 — Presenter and Trial Skills Coach, Serious Science for Serious DWI Lawyers, National College for DUI Defense, Arlington, Texas.
• 2025 — Speaker, Missouri Bar Solo & Small Firm Conference.
• 2025 — Chair and Speaker, Missouri Bar and Missouri Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers Bernard Edelman DWI Law & Science Seminar.
• 2025 — Instructor, National College for DUI Defense Serious Science Seminar, Arlington, Texas.

Honors

• 2025: Best DUI Attorney in Kansas City, Missouri, Kansas City Magazine, Best of Kansas City – DUI Lawyer
• 2015: Atticus Finch Award, Missouri Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers — For outstanding trial work in representing people in difficult cases.
• 2018: Women’s Justice Awards, Missouri Lawyers Weekly — For outstanding trial work in criminal and DWI defense.
• 2019: President’s Award, Missouri Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers — For distinguished service to MACDL and for serving as co-director of the largest DWI defense seminar in Missouri.
• Repeatedly named a Super Lawyer.
• 2021: Expertise Defense Attorney Award, Expertise.com — Recognized as one of the top criminal defense law firms in the region.

Awards

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Avvo Client's Choice Award: This award is granted to attorneys with at least 5 reviews with 4+ stars in a given year on Avvo.com