A partner with Bryan Cave LLP in Kansas City, Missouri, Craig O’Dear has nearly 30 years of experience in commercial litigation in areas such as product liability and intellectual property. As a legal professional, Craig O’Dear is a member of organizations such as the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA). Founded in 1958, The American Board of Trial Advocates strives to improve the technical and ethical standards of the advocacy field and to preserve the civil jury system. To accomplish its goals, ABOTA offers continuing legal education (CLE) programs to its members, such as the Masters in Trial program.The Masters in Trial series helps improve the advocacy skills of lawyers by letting them observe a full trial conducted by leading attorneys, completed in one day. The program includes jury deliberations and participation along with training on how to understand the jury process. The Masters in Trial series helps law students by providing a roadmap to success.
Since 1988, Craig O'Dear has served as partner at the law firm Bryan Cave LLP, based in Kansas City, Missouri. Outside of the office, Craig O'Dear sits on the advisory board of the Midwest Innocence Project (MIP).As a nonprofit corporation headquartered in Kansas City, MIP strives to investigate, litigate, and exonerate wrongfully convicted people in a five-state region. It focuses on those in Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska. Since the process to prove an innocent person has been wrongfully convicted of a crime is costly, with some exonerations costing upwards of $325,000, MIP works with many volunteers to give the wrongfully convicted their freedom back.Given the nature of this nonprofit, MIP relies largely on financial contributions and fundraising events to carry out its work. One of these events is its annual Champions of Justice Concert, which in 2017 occurred on November 16 at the Madrid Theatre in Kansas City. The Champions of Justice is a group of individuals who support MIP’s mission, and these people encourage others to contribute to a personal fundraiser, with the hopes of each raising at least $2,000. Attendees of the concert enjoyed an open bar and live music from groups including Fritz Hutchison and Lauren Krum, Erica Joy, and My Oh My.
