Sherrill L. Rosen is a retired Missouri Circuit Court Commissioner who served with distinction in the 16th Judicial Circuit, based in the Eastern Jackson County Courthouse. With a legal career spanning a decade, Commissioner Rosen was widely respected for her commitment to family law and her tireless advocacy for survivors of domestic violence.

Born in Denver, Colorado, and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, Rosen earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Colorado at Boulder at just 20 years old. She went on to receive her law degree from the University of Missouri School of Law in 1978.

Rosen began her legal career at Legal Aid of Western Missouri, where she represented survivors of domestic violence. She played a key role in drafting and lobbying for Missouri’s first adult abuse statute, laying the groundwork for stronger protections for abuse victims across the state. She later transitioned to private practice, continuing her focus on family law.

In 1994, she was appointed as a Family Court Commissioner, where she presided over contested family law cases and a truancy court program. Throughout her judicial tenure, she was recognized for her integrity, compassion, and unwavering commitment to justice. She also served as a guardian ad litem.

Her contributions have been honored by the Kansas City Bar Association and Missouri Lawyers Weekly, reflecting her impact both in the courtroom and in the broader legal community.

Now retired, Commissioner Rosen leaves behind a legacy of advocacy, service, and leadership in Missouri’s family court system.

https://www.kcjc.com/current-news/top-stories/9963-sherrill-rosen-transformer-of-missouri-family-law-retires-after-46-years

Advocating Justice: The Legal Battle

Welcome to Illuminating Hope, a podcast of Hope House. In the series Advocating Justice: The Legal Battle, we dive into the legal battles that shape the fight for domestic violence survivors. In each episode, we bring you powerful conversations with the legal teams, court advocates, and changemakers working tirelessly to bring justice, protection, and hope to survivors of domestic violence.

From the courtroom to policy changes, from survivor rights to legal strategies, we uncover the critical role the justice system plays in breaking cycles of abuse. Whether you’re a survivor, advocate, or someone passionate about justice, this podcast series will empower and inform you."

Justice isn’t just about the law—it’s about giving survivors a voice, protection, and a future.

Hosts: MaryAnne Metheny, Ilene Shehan and Tina Johnson

If you are in an emergency, call or text 9-1-1.

For information about our services and how Hope House can help, call our 24-Hour Hotline at 816-461-HOPE (4673) or the National Domestic Violence Hotline 800-799-7233.

hopehouse.net

This is Part 2 of our powerful conversation with Attorney and Professor Mary Kay O’Malley—a respected voice in family law and a dedicated educator shaping the future of justice.

In Part 1, Mary Kay gave us a look into her journey through law and education, and how both worlds intersect impact families and communities.

Today, we’re picking right where we left off—diving deeper into the challenges and opportunities in family law, her perspective on systemic change, and the role advocacy plays in creating safer, more supportive environments for children and families.

Advocating Justice: The Legal Battle

Welcome to Illuminating Hope, a podcast of Hope House. In the series Advocating Justice: The Legal Battle, we dive into the legal battles that shape the fight for domestic violence survivors. In each episode, we bring you powerful conversations with the legal teams, court advocates, and changemakers working tirelessly to bring justice, protection, and hope to survivors of domestic violence.

From the courtroom to policy changes, from survivor rights to legal strategies, we uncover the critical role the justice system plays in breaking cycles of abuse. Whether you’re a survivor, advocate, or someone passionate about justice, this podcast series will empower and inform you."

Justice isn’t just about the law—it’s about giving survivors a voice, protection, and a future.

Hosts: MaryAnne Metheny, Ilene Shehan and Tina Johnson

If you are in an emergency, call or text 9-1-1.

For information about our services and how Hope House can help, call our 24-Hour Hotline at 816-461-HOPE (4673) or the National Domestic Violence Hotline 800-799-7233.

hopehouse.net

Mary Kay O’Malley has been the director of the Child and Family Services Clinic and clinical professor since 2002. She obtained her bachelor of arts from St. Mary-of-the-Woods College near Terre Haute, Indiana and her master of arts from UMKC. After working as a social worker for the Missouri Division of Family Services for 13 years, she returned to school and graduated cum laude from the Washburn University School of Law in Topeka, Kan., where she was an editor on both the Washburn Law Journal and the ABA Family Law Quarterly.

Following law school, Professor O’Malley was employed as a prosecuting attorney at the Jackson County Family Court for six years. After leaving the court she was a partner with Raith and O’Malley P.C., focusing her practice in the area of juvenile and family law.

Her other teaching assignments include the law school’s Guardian ad Litem Workshop, and she is the legal director of the Kansas City Youth Court program housed at the law school.

Advocating Justice: The Legal Battle

Welcome to Illuminating Hope, a podcast of Hope House. In the series Advocating Justice: The Legal Battle, we dive into the legal battles that shape the fight for domestic violence survivors. In each episode, we bring you powerful conversations with the legal teams, court advocates, and changemakers working tirelessly to bring justice, protection, and hope to survivors of domestic violence.

From the courtroom to policy changes, from survivor rights to legal strategies, we uncover the critical role the justice system plays in breaking cycles of abuse. Whether you’re a survivor, advocate, or someone passionate about justice, this podcast series will empower and inform you."

Justice isn’t just about the law—it’s about giving survivors a voice, protection, and a future.

Hosts: MaryAnne Metheny, Ilene Shehan and Tina Johnson

If you are in an emergency, call or text 9-1-1.

For information about our services and how Hope House can help, call our 24-Hour Hotline at 816-461-HOPE (4673) or the National Domestic Violence Hotline 800-799-7233.

hopehouse.net

Guest: Patricia “Tricia” M. Scaglia, Scaglia Law Firm, LLC

Patricia “Tricia” M. Scaglia, is a solo practitioner in Independence, Missouri. She practices primarily in the area of Family Law and Juvenile Law, frequently serving as a Guardian Ad Litem and mediator. A life-long Kansas City resident, she received her Juris Doctor from the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC), where she serves as an adjunct professor. Ms. Scaglia received a Bachelor of Journalism and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Missouri-Columbia. She served as law clerk to the late Honorable Kelly J. Moorhouse, Sixteenth Judicial Circuit of Missouri and to the Honorable Robert E. Larsen, United States District Court Western District of Missouri. Ms. Scaglia serves on the LINC, Literacy Kansas City Board of Directors, and the Missouri Bar Board of Governors. A frequent CLE contributor, she has provided the Annual Family Law Update for UMKC since 2005 and has presented on the Missouri Legislative Update for the last several years. Ms. Scaglia is licensed in Missouri and Kansas.

Advocating Justice: The Legal Battle

Welcome to Illuminating Hope, a podcast of Hope House. In the series Advocating Justice: The Legal Battle, we dive into the legal battles that shape the fight for domestic violence survivors. In each episode, we bring you powerful conversations with the legal teams, court advocates, and changemakers working tirelessly to bring justice, protection, and hope to survivors of domestic violence.

From the courtroom to policy changes, from survivor rights to legal strategies, we uncover the critical role the justice system plays in breaking cycles of abuse. Whether you’re a survivor, advocate, or someone passionate about justice, this podcast series will empower and inform you."

Justice isn’t just about the law—it’s about giving survivors a voice, protection, and a future.

Hosts: MaryAnne Metheny, Ilene Shehan and Tina Johnson

If you are in an emergency, call or text 9-1-1.

For information about our services and how Hope House can help, call our 24-Hour Hotline at 816-461-HOPE (4673) or the National Domestic Violence Hotline 800-799-7233.

hopehouse.net

Guest Tamara A. Veit received her J.D. from the University of Missouri–Kansas City in 2004. In 2004, she began working for McElligott Ewan & Hall PC as an associate attorney. She practices primarily in the area of family law. She is currently a member of a number of legal organizations, including the American Bar Association, the Missouri Bar Association, the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association, the Eastern Jackson County Bar Association, and the Association of Women’s Lawyers. Tamara has served on numerous boards and committees for these organizations. She is currently on the Board of Directors as Vice President for the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Foundation (KCMBF) and President of the Child Abuse Prevention Association(CAPA). She is also a member of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts(AFCC). She has planned several conferences, including the KCMBF’s Domestic Violence Alliance and the MO Bar Annual Family Law Conference. Throughout her career as an attorney, she has served as a Guardian Ad Litem to the Court, advocating children’s rights. Tamara has served on the community board for her church and school committees.

Advocating Justice: The Legal Battle

Welcome to Illuminating Hope, a podcast of Hope House. In the series Advocating Justice: The Legal Battle, we dive into the legal battles that shape the fight for domestic violence survivors. In each episode, we bring you powerful conversations with the legal teams, court advocates, and changemakers working tirelessly to bring justice, protection, and hope to survivors of domestic violence.

From the courtroom to policy changes, from survivor rights to legal strategies, we uncover the critical role the justice system plays in breaking cycles of abuse. Whether you’re a survivor, advocate, or someone passionate about justice, this podcast series will empower and inform you."

Justice isn’t just about the law—it’s about giving survivors a voice, protection, and a future.

Hosts: MaryAnne Metheny, Ilene Shehan and Tina Johnson

If you are in an emergency, call or text 9-1-1.

For information about our services and how Hope House can help, call our 24-Hour Hotline at 816-461-HOPE (4673) or the National Domestic Violence Hotline 800-799-7233.

hopehouse.net

C.A.S.A. Training with Hope House

CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) Volunteers are community volunteers, just like you, who stand up and speak out to help children who have experienced abuse or neglect.

Jackson County CASA recruits, trains, and supports these CASA Volunteers to advocate for the best interests of children who are in the Jackson County Family Court system until they have a safe and permanent home.

Guests: Meg, Director of Clinical Services & Tracey, Adult Therapist

Advocating Justice: The Legal Battle

Welcome to Illuminating Hope, a podcast of Hope House. In the series Advocating Justice: The Legal Battle, we dive into the legal battles that shape the fight for domestic violence survivors. In each episode, we bring you powerful conversations with the legal teams, court advocates, and changemakers working tirelessly to bring justice, protection, and hope to survivors of domestic violence.

From the courtroom to policy changes, from survivor rights to legal strategies, we uncover the critical role the justice system plays in breaking cycles of abuse. Whether you’re a survivor, advocate, or someone passionate about justice, this podcast series will empower and inform you."

Justice isn’t just about the law—it’s about giving survivors a voice, protection, and a future.

Hosts: MaryAnne Metheny, Ilene Shehan and Tina Johnson

If you are in an emergency, call or text 9-1-1.

For information about our services and how Hope House can help, call our 24-Hour Hotline at 816-461-HOPE (4673) or the National Domestic Violence Hotline 800-799-7233.

hopehouse.net

A special Thank You to our newest reoccurring donor Liz Crenshaw, Farmers Insurance! 816-461-8077

Crissy Del Percio has been working with survivors of domestic violence for more than a decade. She is a graduate of the University of Missouri- Kansas City School of Law, and obtained her undergraduate degrees from the University of Kansas. Although she loves working with Hope House, she looks forward to the day when her services are no longer needed because Kansas City has overcome the issue of domestic violence.

Advocating Justice: The Legal Battle

Welcome to Illuminating Hope, a podcast of Hope House. In the series Advocating Justice: The Legal Battle, we dive into the legal battles that shape the fight for domestic violence survivors. In each episode, we bring you powerful conversations with the legal teams, court advocates, and changemakers working tirelessly to bring justice, protection, and hope to survivors of domestic violence.

From the courtroom to policy changes, from survivor rights to legal strategies, we uncover the critical role the justice system plays in breaking cycles of abuse. Whether you’re a survivor, advocate, or someone passionate about justice, this podcast series will empower and inform you."

Justice isn’t just about the law—it’s about giving survivors a voice, protection, and a future.

Hosts: MaryAnne Metheny, Ilene Shehan, and Tina Johnson

If you are in an emergency, call or text 9-1-1.

For information about our services and how Hope House can help, call our 24-Hour Hotline at 816-461-HOPE (4673) or the National Domestic Violence Hotline 800-799-7233.

hopehouse.net

Guardian Program

Supervised Visits & Monitored Exchanges of Custody

A secure, off-site facility where custodial parents safely exchange custody of their children and/or children participate in supervised visits with their non-custodial parent.

Guests: Randa, Director of Outreach Services & Serena, Guardian Program Manager

Advocating Justice: The Legal Battle

Welcome to Illuminating Hope, a podcast of Hope House. In the series Advocating Justice: The Legal Battle, we dive into the legal battles that shape the fight for domestic violence survivors. In each episode, we bring you powerful conversations with the legal teams, court advocates, and changemakers working tirelessly to bring justice, protection, and hope to survivors of domestic violence.

From the courtroom to policy changes, from survivor rights to legal strategies, we uncover the critical role the justice system plays in breaking cycles of abuse. Whether you’re a survivor, advocate, or someone passionate about justice, this podcast series will empower and inform you."

Justice isn’t just about the law—it’s about giving survivors a voice, protection, and a future.

Hosts: MaryAnne Metheny, and Tina Johnson

If you are in an emergency, call or text 9-1-1.

For information about our services and how Hope House can help, call our 24-Hour Hotline at 816-461-HOPE (4673) or the National Domestic Violence Hotline 800-799-7233.

hopehouse.net