Jennifer was born in Kansas City and has lived here almost her entire life. She received her bachelor’s in psychology and minored in Criminal Justice in 1991 and her law degree in 1995 from the University of Missouri – Kansas City School of Law.  

Her thesis for her law degree was on the use of DNA to vindicate the wrongly convicted. This was based on the research she did the year between her first and second year of law school at the University of Maryland, College Park, in conjunction with the Armed Forces Institute for Pathology. While there she also met and learned from Barry Scheck about The Innocence Project. 

Jennifer also did some consulting with Channel 4 news, right after law school, during the O.J. Simpson trial, on DNA use in criminal cases. This was during the DNA testimony on live TV. 

In her sophomore year in college, she told her parents she had decided to become a lawyer, not a clinical psychologist as planned. She never looked back. Instead of a prosecutor, she had decided each defendant needed the best representation possible. They deserve justice, and she still believes this. 

Upon graduation from law school, she worked with two attorneys before opening her own solo practice firm, Reagan Law, LLC, concentrating on family law, traffic cases and criminal law. 

Jennifer has received the President’s Awards from both the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association and the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Foundation, among other awards during her more than 30 years in practice. 

After about 25 years running her own firm, she decided that due to concentrating on family law for most of the time, she wanted a change - to go back to her roots. With much thought and many conversations, she officially closed her practice and joined the DWI and Criminal Law Center of the Benjamin Law Firm, LLC in January 2024.  

Jennifer is a senior associate with the firm. She handles everything from serious felony cases and DWIs to minor traffic tickets. She also handles expungement, hardship and reinstatement cases. She thoroughly enjoys her new endeavor, especially the camaraderie and teamwork, having been a sole practitioner for so long.  

What she loves about the firm is that we attack cases from a trial/dismissal perspective instead of a plea perspective. We look deep into our clients’ cases to find anything, big or small, to help them get the absolute best outcome. We address the legal issues and the clients’ core issues that brought them to our firm in the first place. It is this wholistic approach that Jennifer loves and fits right into. 

Outside of work, Jennifer enjoys reading fiction, meeting new people and international travel. She was also previously a part owner of a wine shop and enjoys learning about wine. 

Jennifer believes that all the above would not have happened had it not been for the support of her family. They taught her that hard work and the idea of never knowing a stranger is what life is all about.