Logan Mitchell found his community at UMKC Law after a personal tragedy
At UMKC, students write their own stories, form their own definitions of success and chart innovative career paths. With Kansas City as their classroom, they turn dreams into reality every day.
Logan Mitchell
Anticipated graduation year: May 2025
UMKC degree program: Juris Doctor
Hometown: Wichita, KS
When Logan Mitchell was looking at law schools, UMKC School of Law was one of his top choices. After touring it and several other law schools, the community and support he saw at UMKC sold him. Mitchell suffered a personal tragedy just months into law school, and the support he received made such an impact he’s spent much of his time on campus paying it forward.
Why did you choose UMKC?
I've always loved Kansas City. I’m from Wichita, but my aunt and uncle live in Kansas City. We would visit them when I was growing up. So, I already had a feel for the city. It’s a small school in the heart of a big city, which I love. There are a lot of opportunities within the community. A lot of alumni stay in Kansas City, and there’s a really strong UMKC Law alumni network. They want to help students out and connect them to the legal community.
When I was looking at law schools, I toured a few schools. While everyone was nice, UMKC was just different. It felt like the people really knew and cared about each other. The law emissary student who gave me my tour at UMKC was actually a friend of a friend. When we walked down the halls, he introduced me to his friends and to professors. Everyone was so kind; I just loved the community feel.
Why did you choose your field of study?
My undergraduate degree is in journalism with a sports management minor. I loved those programs, but wasn’t quite sure what I wanted to do. My uncle is an attorney here in Kansas City and asked if I had ever considered law school. I worked at his firm for a year after I graduated college and loved it. I felt like I could make a difference in the world.
I also think that it’s a career that allows you to pivot and try different areas and interests. When I came to law school, I was interested in personal injury law. I’ve had the opportunity to clerk at a few firms and be immersed in personal injury law. I found it really rewarding. I’ve also learned about other areas of law that have been interesting, like sports law and family law. Right now, I have an internship with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), and I’m loving it. I’ve had the opportunity to explore different interests, which is so valuable.
What are the challenges of the program?
Law school and legal careers are really demanding. People who enter this building are passionate and care so much so it can be easy to define yourself as just a lawyer. There’s nothing wrong with that, but you have to remember to take care of yourself and make time for yourself outside of the law. You can’t pour from an empty cup.
Law school is difficult, but it’s really rewarding. I think we can set an example for the next classes and generations of lawyers and show them that taking care of ourselves and each other is important. Having a supportive community around you makes a difference.
What are the benefits of the program?
During law school, I’ve had four different internships and clerkships, including at the NAIA, Dollar Burns Becker & Hershewe, Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office, and Votava Nantz & Johnson. I’ve seen so many different offices and areas of the law and learned a lot about how different lawyers operate. I’ve had a lot of opportunities that I wouldn’t have if I had gone elsewhere.
It’s very easy to get involved at UMKC Law, and people want you to be part of the community. I’m a law emissary and give tours to prospective students; I love sharing my experiences with them. I’ve also been a member of the Student Bar Association for two years and get to be a voice for my fellow students.
How has your college program inspired you?
I’ve been really inspired by the UMKC Law community as a whole. Faculty, staff and fellow students really care about each other inside and out of the classroom. Two months into law school, my mom and only parent passed away. I came back to school and classes two days later. Everyone, my friends, faculty, staff, were so supportive. They promised they would help me get to the finish line.
I wasn’t always an A+ student, but my mom encouraged me to work hard and believed in me. I wanted to finish school for her. It would have easy to decide it was too much and quit, but all the support I had made the difference. I hope I can be that support for other students, especially those who go through a crisis. I needed someone to believe in me, and I had that. Now I want to be that for other people.
Since entering college, what have you learned about yourself?
I can do hard things. There’s a quote by Theodore Roosevelt about “the man in the arena,” which basically says that people may criticize those who fail, but those who may fail at least had the courage to try and put up a fight. Maybe I could have done more or been a better student, but I’ve fought and done my best. That’s all I can ask for.
Who do you admire most at UMKC?
There are a lot of people. I have to shout out my fiancée, Julia. We met here at UMKC Law in our first semester. We had just started dating when my mom passed away. She walked alongside me through that whole experience, even though it was hard and was one of my biggest supporters. I am so lucky that UMKC introduced me to her, and I can’t wait to marry her next year.
Professor Yvette Lindgren teaches family law, and I’ve taken a few of her classes. She’s knowledgeable in a way that piques people’s interest in that area of law, even those who walked in with no knowledge or interest. I just think she’s an incredible person and professor. I am disappointed I just met her my last year of law school.
Ashley Swanson-Hoye is the director of law student services, and she’s been an amazing source of support. She’s always had an open door for me, especially after my mom passed. Sometimes I just needed someone to talk to, and I could go to her at any time and just be real with her about how I was feeling.
Finally, Professor Ryan Copus, who I have had for several classes and who supervised my research and writing requirement, has also been a consistent source of support during my time at law school. While his classes were difficult, he has always been so approachable and always makes himself available to talk about school, life or sports, which has been so invaluable to me.
UMKC has been my rock through the hardest time in my life. Losing my mom changed my entire world, but this building and the people here uplifted me when I needed it most. I will always be eternally grateful for this campus and these people. It’s more than just a law school or a university. I’ve built lifelong, invaluable relationships.
You’re a student emissary for the law school and part of Student Bar Association. Tell me more about your involvement.
I love being an emissary and talking to potential students, telling them about the school and its history and the supportive environment and people. Law school is a whole different atmosphere. There’s a lot to learn and figure out. I take a lot of pride in being able to help incoming students and make their lives a little easier. I know how stressful it can be to start law school and not know anyone or how it all works.
I am also a Student Bar Association class representative. We plan social events and address student concerns. I try my best to be tapped into what people are interested in or concerned about. Sometimes students might tell another student something, but they don’t want to take it higher than that. I appreciate being able to be an advocate for my classmates and share their interests with administration.
What do you hope to take from your experiences at UMKC into your professional career?
Always have an open mind and be willing to learn something new. A quote that comes to mind is “the more you know, the more you know that you don’t know.” I’ve been in law school for three years and learned so much, but I could be here for another 1,000 years and still not know everything. I want to be someone who is always open to learning more, seeing things from a different perspective and thinking outside the box.
May 09, 2025
University of Missouri System high honor has become a family legacy
University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law Curators’ Professor Nancy Levit, J.D., is the 2025 Thomas Jefferson Award recipient. The award, given by the University of Missouri System, honors a member of the University of Missouri community who "through personal influence and performance of duty in teaching, writing and scholarship, character and influence, devotion and loyalty to the University best exemplifies the principles and ideals of Thomas Jefferson."
“The Thomas Jefferson Award is so meaningful because it represents commitment to the ideals of reason, free expression and the dissemination of knowledge,” Levit said. “The real honor goes to my wonderful colleagues of 36 years who have made UMKC such an exciting intellectual home.”
Levit is the second person in her family to receive the Thomas Jefferson Award. Her father, Marty Levit, received the award in 1984 during his time as a philosophy and education professor at UMKC. Marty was drawn to UMKC in part for its emphasis on interdisciplinary education, a sentiment that was passed on to Nancy. Marty and Nancy Levit also share a love for teaching and building relationships with their students and colleagues.
“The last line of my father’s obituary was appreciation for the thousands of students who enriched his life, and that’s a sentiment I feel every day,” Levit said. “The students are the best part of the job. Watching them find their niche and the things that excite them is so energizing.”
Levit joined the UMKC School of Law as a faculty member in 1988, the same year that her father retired. Her areas of specialty are torts, employment law and jurisprudence. In addition to the law courses she teaches, Levit is the long-time faculty advisor to the UMKC Law Review. She has authored or co-authored 11 books, more than 50 law review articles and more than 10 book chapters. She has earned numerous recognitions, including the Missouri Lawyers Media Women’s Justice Legal Scholar Award (2011), UMKC School of Law Professor of the Year Award six times, university-wide Elmer P. Pierson Teaching Award three times, UMKC School of Law Tierra M. Farrow Teaching Award (2010), university-wide Chancellor’s Award for Teaching (2011), Missouri Governor’s Teaching Award (2004, 2012), Daniel Brenner Publishing Award three times and the university-wide N.T. Veatch Award for Distinguished Research (2000).
“I can think of few more deserving of receiving the Thomas Jefferson Award than Professor Levit,” said Lumen Mulligan, dean of the UMKC School of Law. “She is a leading voice today on fairness in the workplace. She has enriched the lives of generations of UMKC law students as a gifted teacher, and her service to the university and the profession have no equal. That she now joins her father as a recipient of this award is, quite simply, moving.”
Levit’s relationship with the university began through her father, but it has been sustained in large part due to the strong faculty and student relationships that are prominent within the law school.
“One of the hallmarks of the UMKC School of Law is that it is a truly collegial and happy place,” Levit said. “When students first arrive, we tell them to look around because these people will become their best friends and colleagues for years to come. My fellow faculty are terrific at having meaningful conversations with students about their interests and goals and then helping them make connections in the community. Something that UMKC law students learn is to be other-directed, to give back. Alumni come and give back. We have a whole city of lawyers willing to share their expertise with our students.”
One of those alumni is Judge Stephen R. Bough (J.D. ‘97), U. S. District Court, Western District of Missouri. Bough has organized several symposia for the UMKC Law Review on innovative criminal sentences, multidistrict litigation and Missouri specialty courts and regularly provides his expertise to students.
“Professor Levit taught my first-year torts class, and for 30 years she has continued to teach me about the law, humanity and how to be a better person,” Bough said. “She is always available to give great advice and refers the best law clerks. Nancy could teach at any law school in the country; we are blessed that she has chosen UMKC Law School.”
May 01, 2025