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.
