Jill Kanatzar is one of the most respected plaintiff attorneys in the region. Her deep experience in cases related to sexual abuse, child injury and wrongful death, nursing home abuse and medical malpractice spans more than 20 years.
Jill’s entire career has been dedicated to helping people who often cannot help themselves. From small children to disabled adults to our elders, she has stood next to and fought for people’s rights. Jill is respected by attorneys throughout the Midwest, hence why she has been named Prosecutor of the Year by Jackson County and earned the Women’s Justice Award by Missouri Lawyers Weekly.
In addition, Jill was appointed by the Missouri Supreme Court to its Advisory Committee. She has also been appointed special prosecutor by numerous prosecutors' offices across Kansas City area jurisdictions.
Prior to joining the firm, Jill was an assistant prosecuting attorney in Jackson County, Missouri, where she prosecuted felony criminal cases including robberies, burglaries, assaults and homicides. Jill spent the majority of her tenure with the Prosecutor’s Office in the Child Abuse & Sex Crimes Unit. She participated in numerous jury trials including cases of adult sex crimes and crimes perpetrated against children.
Jill entered private practice in 1998 when she joined Stigall, Humphrey, Lucas, Henry & Dollar. She soon began representing families and patients injured by abuse and neglect in nursing homes. Jill was appointed by the Supreme Court of Missouri to serve on the 16th Circuit Bar Ethics Committee. This panel reviews complaints brought against other lawyers to determine whether probable cause exists and if ethical violations have occurred.
Jill earned a bachelor’s degree from Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, dual majoring in economics and political science. She received her law degree from the University of Notre Dame Law School and obtained her license to practice law in 1994. She holds an active license in Missouri and Kansas, as well as before the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri.
Professional Association and Memberships
16th Circuit Judicial Commission, Member
Association for Women Lawyers of Greater Kansas City, Member and Denise Henning Connections Mentoring Program
Advisory Committee for the Missouri Supreme Court
Missouri Supreme Court Regional Disciplinary Committee, Former Chair
Jackson County Child Sexual Abuse Task Force, Former Chair
Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association, Member
Nursing Home Negligence Committee, Member
The Missouri Bar, Member
The Kansas Bar, Member
Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys, Member
Brain Injury Association of Kansas and Greater Kansas City, Member of Board of Directors, Past President
Awards and Honors
Best Lawyers in America – 2019-2022
Super Lawyers – 2018-2021, 2008
Who’s Who Top Lawyers – 2020
Missouri Lawyer’s Weekly – Women’s Justice Award, Litigation Practitioner – 2018
Jackson County Child Advocacy Coalition – Child Advocate Award
AV Preeminent®: The highest peer rating standard. This rating signifies a large number of the lawyer’s peers rank him
or her at the highest level of professional excellence for their legal knowledge, communication skills and ethical standards.
Distinguished: An excellent rating for a lawyer with some experience. This rating indicates the attorney is widely
respected by their peers for high professional achievement and ethical standards.
Notable: This rating indicates that the lawyer has been recognized by a large number of their peers for strong ethical standards.
