The journey that began MaKenzi’s interest in law started in Los Angeles. She volunteered as an intern at a talent agency, was hired the next week as an assistant, and six months later was promoted to talent agent. This made her the youngest Screen Actors Guild franchised agent on either coast at age nineteen. Although not yet a lawyer, she learned legalese as she went, successfully negotiating forty-page talent contracts with networks, and broke new ground by creating a cure clause never before used by television networks, which is still a boilerplate provision for most tv and film contracts today.
MaKenzi continued to advocate for actors and models, and eventually transitioned from agency to management at twenty-three, becoming the CEO of a large management firm at twenty-four, and later opened her own talent management company with her sister, Marissa. To this day, Marissa carries Triniti Management forward with clients on film and television that you would know and recognize.
MaKenzi graduated Cum Laude from the University of Missouri-Kansas City with dual bachelor’s degrees in art history and Studio Art. She graduated with pro bono honors from UMKC School of Law with her Juris Doctor after providing over 200 hours of free legal work for domestic abuse victims in Kansas City. MaKenzi also worked with the Urban Development Team at Legal Aid of Western Missouri, aiding Mayor Sly James’ goal for urban revitalization of abandoned and debilitated properties in Kansas City, MO. MaKenzi also holds an MBA from the UMKC Bloch School of Business, which comes in handy with her business clients’ needs – adding value to her legal knowledge.
Mrs. Smith is an openly queer attorney and works diligently representing all persons under the law with a unique understanding of how people’s differences make them amazing, but also how that can affect the way the law and opposing parties may see them. Fierce advocacy is the cornerstone of MaKenzi’s personal practice philosophy, and she stands ready to stand up for all clients who need assertive, but diligent representation. “I always say I am nice until it’s time to not be nice, and I have earned a reputation as a pit bull in poodle clothing according to some online client reviews,” says MaKenzi. Her practice style leans towards settling things where she can for the benefit of her clients and fighting for their legal rights and goals when agreements cannot be reached.
Mrs. Smith routinely represents a variety of small business owners for their personal and professional legal needs, including landlords, house flippers, licensed therapists, HVAC, movers, high-end lighting design, contractors, physicians, dentists, and restaurateurs. She is the managing partner of Juris and enjoys balancing client practice and administrative duties, and is often asked to speak all across the country on a variety of legal and jurisprudence issues.
When MaKenzi is not busy at work, she is busy at home with her wife, Laura, their three beautiful children, multiple fur-babies, and spending time with their two large and loud families! MaKenzi is a wife, widow, sister, daughter, friend, boss lady, and uses her lifetime of professional and legal experience to enhance the advice she provides to her clients.
Areas of Practice
- Real Estate
- Single Family and Multi-family Landlord Representation – including flat-rate evictions
- Contracts
- Estate Planning
- Probate
- Guardianship/Conservatorship (KS only)
- Corporations and Business Organizations
- Family Law including Modifications
- Domestic Litigation
- Dental, Counseling, and Medical Transactional Law
- Kansas Redemption Rights
- Third-Party Visitation (formerly known as Grandparent’s Rights)
Bar Admissions
- Kansas
- Missouri
- U.S. District Court, District of Kansas
- U.S. District Court, Western District of Missouri
Education
- University of Missouri – Kansas City, Juris Doctorate with Honors
- University of Missouri – Kansas City, Master of Business Administration – Summa Cum Laude
- University of Missouri – Kansas City, Bachelor of Arts in Art History -Cum Laude with Honors
- University of Missouri – Kansas City, Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art -Cum Laude with Honors
Professional Associations & Memberships
- Apartment Association of Kansas City
- Olathe Boys & Girls Club – Advisory Board
- Johnson County Family Law Inn of Court (Executive Council)
- Johnson County Bar Association
- Missouri Bar Association
- Kansas Bar Association
- American Bar Association (YLD Awards/Subgrants Judge)
Classes/Seminars Taught
- Succession Planning for Lawyers
- Ethics in Dental Jurisprudence
- The Ethics of Dental Implant Case Selection
- Best Practices for Dental Practice Administration
- Real Estate Contracts: Negotiations and Avoiding Pitfalls
- Third-Party Visitation in Kansas: The New Grandparent’s Rights Law
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