Park University's Women Transforming Criminal Justice Event to Feature Municipal Judge Courtney Wachal as Keynote Speaker
On March 5, 2025, Courtney Wachal, J.D., will be the featured speaker at Park University's 3rd annual Women Transforming Criminal Justice event. Wachal, a distinguished figure in the legal community, is known for her significant contributions to the field, particularly in the area of domestic violence programming.
Wachal's career in law spans over a decade, having served in the Missouri State Public Defender System for seven years before becoming an assistant prosecuting attorney with the City of Kansas City, Mo., in 2011. In January 2015, she was appointed as Kansas City municipal court judge in Division 203, which has primary jurisdiction over all domestic violence cases filed in municipal court.
One of Wachal's most notable achievements is her role as the presiding judge over Wellness Court, a unique initiative launched by the Kansas City Municipal Court in January 2024. This innovative programme combines drug court and mental health court programmes, aiming to meet participants where they are to provide treatment and support, and serve the whole person.
Under Wachal's term as presiding judge, the municipal court debuted its first-ever evening and weekend dockets, and greatly enhanced warrant relief through community engagement and walk-in dockets. The goal of Wellness Court is to address high-risk domestic violence offenders with substance use disorders in a therapeutic environment, while holding them accountable for their battering behavior.
In June 2019, the domestic violence compliance docket developed a drug court track under Wachal's term. This specialized, supervised docket is designed to provide the necessary treatment and support to participants, while ensuring accountability.
Wachal's work in this area has earned her numerous accolades. In 2014, she was awarded the Young Lawyers Section Pro Bono Publico Award from the Missouri Bar Association. In 2015, she received the Rising Star of Philanthropy award by Nonprofit Connect. She was named Judge of the Year by the Association for Women Lawyers in December 2017, and received the Women's Justice Award for Public Service from Missouri Lawyers Media in October 2021. In December 2023, she was honoured with the Hon. Joseph E. Stevens Aspire to Excellence Award from the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association. Most recently, in November 2024, Wachal was recognized with the Dorothy Kaiser Award by the Missouri Lawyers' Assistance Program.
In addition to her professional commitments, Wachal is actively involved in community service. She is a member of the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association and serves as an ex-officio member of the board of directors for the Association for Women Lawyers of Greater Kansas City. Wachal is also past president of the board of directors for Sheffield Place and serves on the organization's advisory board.
The event will take place from 10 a.m. to noon in the Jenkin and Barbara David Theater inside Alumni Hall on the Parkville Campus. It will be livestreamed at ourwebsiteumedia.com for those unable to attend in person. Attendees can look forward to gaining valuable insights into domestic violence programming from Wachal, as well as engaging in a panel discussion with experts.
[1] Note: While this article focuses on Wachal's contributions and achievements in the field of domestic violence programming and justice, it is important to note that there is no available information in the provided search results about her background, contributions, or achievements specifically in this field. If you seek information about her work in domestic violence programming and justice, additional or more specialized sources would be needed.
Courtney Wachal's dedication to lifelong learning and education-and-self-development, particularly in the field of domestic violence programming, is evident in her groundbreaking work as the presiding judge of Wellness Court. Her initiatives have led to innovative, therapeutic environments for high-risk domestic violence offenders, blending drug court and mental health court programs to provide treatment, support, and accountability.
