Attorney Profile...

Currently, Louie is General Counsel to Local No. 42 of the International Association of Fire Fighters that represents Firefighters, EMTs, Paramedics and Assistant Prosecutors, in twelve (12) separate political subdivisions.  He has also represented a number of other public and private sector unions, and he represents working people in a variety of areas. 

Before starting his own practice, Louie was Of Counsel to a prominent Labor Law firm, in Kansas City, Kansas.  Prior to entering private practice, he served, for three years, as a Judicial Law Clerk to United States District Court Judge, Elmo B. Hunter. 

Louie is not your Run of the Mill Attorney.  He’s been where his clients have been.  Louie is a former Fire Captain and EMT.  Prior to and after attending law school, Louie served as a local union president and international union district vice president.  He understands the challenges ordinary working people and unions confront on a daily basis – He’s been there! 

Louie resides in Kansas City, Missouri, with his wife Melinda and their four cats.  His two children Joanna and Nicholas, and their families, reside in New York City.  His daughter Joanna is a Partner in David Boies’ law firm (Boies Schiller Flexner, LLP). His son Nicholas does a daily sports television show – First Things First – on Fox Sports 1.

Education...

JURIS DOCTOR – Louie received his JD (with Distinction) from the University of Missouri Kansas City School of Law, where he made the Dean’s List each semester.  He graduated second in his class, was Editor in Chief of the Law Review and served two (2) years as a Teaching Assistant in the Legal Research and Writing Program. 

MASTER OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION – Louie holds an MPA, from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, where the faculty named him a Lucius N. Littauer Fellow, for Leadership and Academic Excellence.  While there, he concentrated in negotiation theory, labor relations and public finance. 

ASSOCIATE IN APPLIED SCIENCE (FIRE SCIENCE) – Louie received his AAS from Penn Valley Community College, in Kansas City, Missouri. 

HARVARD TRADE UNION PROGRAM – Louie received a full scholarship to the Trade Union Program at the Harvard University School of Business Administration.  The Trade Union Program was a one (1) semester Executive Course focusing on labor-management relations and trade union administration.  While there, he studied with second year MBA and JD Candidates and leaders from the United States and International Trade Union Movements. 

Teaching Experience...

LAW PROFESSOR
Louie is an Adjunct Professor of Law at UMKC School of Law.  He teaches Labor Law and has done so for the last ten (10) years.  Previously, he served as a Visiting Professor, at the law school, teaching Property Law, Civil Procedure, Environmental Law and Remedies.  He also coached the law school’s ABA Negotiating Team. 

LABOR INSTRUCTOR
Louie develops and presents special classes for representatives and business agents of Local 42 and various other unions.  Such classes deal with the grievance and arbitration process, practical negotiations, labor-relations, financial analysis for negotiations, etc..  He previously taught Labor-Management Relations and Labor Law for the Institute for Labor Studies. 

GUEST LECTURER
Each year Louie presents to the Greater Kansas City Labor-Management Council’s Mid-Level Leadership Program, at Rockhurst University, on Current Developments in Labor Law.  He also presents to Professor Mike Delaney’s Collective Bargaining Class, at KU School of Law, on Practical Considerations for Collective Bargaining – from a Union Perspective. 

Publications & Presentations...

Louie A. Wright, Tale of the First Responder & the Opioid Epidemic.  Presented at the Southern Federation of Fire Fighters Convention; focused on the impact and consequences of the opioid crisis on firefighters and other first responders (San Antonio, Texas) (April 13, 2018). 

Louie A. Wright, The Cost of Government – Focus on Benefits.  Presenting Panelist at Governing Institute’s Cost of Government Symposium; addressed public administrators, academics & elected leaders on public employee pension and benefit issues (Newseum, Washington, DC) (September 12 & 13, 2011).

Louie A. Wright, The American Experience – Current Attacks on Public Sector Unions.  Presented to Delegates at the United Firefighters Union of Australia National Committee of Management; topics included attacks against public sector unions, including attacks on bargaining rights, benefits and state & local taxes; also addressed EMS consolidation into local fire departments (Melbourne, Australia) (June 15 to 18, 2011). 

Louie A. Wright, Recent Developments in Missouri’s Public Sector Labor Law: Times they are a changin’ . . . .  Presented at the Mid America Labor Management Conference (Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri) (July 2008). 

Louie A. Wright, The Union’s Role & Responsibility in Changing the Face & Fabric of the United States Fire Service: This Ain’t No Country Club . . . .  Presented at Australia’s Diversity in the Emergency Services Conference (Melbourne Cricket Grounds, Melbourne, Australia) (November 2007). 

Louie A. Wright, Fiduciary Responsibility: Training & Reference Resources.  Presenting Panelist at Great Plains Public Employee Retirement Systems Forum (Kansas City, Missouri) (November 13 & 14, 2008).

Louie A. Wright, From Conflict to Cooperation: A Case Study of IAFF Local No. 42 and the Kansas City Fire Department.  Presented at the Mid America Labor Management Conference (Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri) (July 2007).

Louie A. Wright (Contributing Author & Editor), Fill the Boot Manual: Overcoming Prohibitive Ordinances, Muscular Dystrophy Association (2006). 

Louie A. Wright, Judge Elmo B. Hunter: Role Model, Mentor & Friend.  Tribute to the Honorable Elmo B. Hunter, US District Court Judge, Western District of Missouri (72 UMKC L. Rev. 849 (2004)). 

Louie A. Wright, The Politics of Fire Fighter Safety & Survival:  the Keokuk, Iowa Tragedy December 22, 1999 (in Memory of Assistant Chief David McNally and Firefighters Jason Bitting & Nathan Tuck).  Presented at the 16th John P. Redmond Symposium (Phoenix, Arizona) (September 2001).  

Louie A. Wright, Organized Labor’s Role in Confronting Change.  Presented at the Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Employment Relations Program (Kansas City, Missouri) (March 1998).

Louie A. Wright, Building Trust: Organized Labor’s Role in the Change Process.  Presented at Innovation Group West’s Transforming Government Conference (Kansas City, Missouri) (June  1997). 

Louie A. Wright, Firefighter "Hooliganism" or Vibrant and Effective First Amendment Protest?  You Decide! Featured in The Labor Beacon (1996). 

Louie A. Wright, Secondary Sources, in The Legal Research Guide 51-79 (©Julie Cheslik 1994) (submitted original draft chapter June 12, 1991). 

Louie A. Wright, The Missouri "Fireman's Rule":  An Unprincipled Rule in Search of a Theory.  Inspired by the tragic death of six (6) Kansas City firefighters in an explosion on South 71 Highway (58 UMKC L. Rev. 329 (1990)).

Professional & Bar Association Memberships...

-Missouri Bar Association
-Kansas Bar Association
-Colorado Bar Association
-American Bar Association
-Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association
-National Employment Lawyers Association
-AFL-CIO Lawyers Coordinating Committee
-College of Labor & Employment Lawyers

Community & Other Activities...

Kansas City Health Care Trust – Board Chair.  Chair and Founding Member of the Trust that directs and manages affairs of the City’s healthcare system.  Louie negotiated and participated in development of the ordinance that created the Board of Trustees.  In his role as Chair, Louie has worked collaboratively with the Kansas City Fire Department and IAFF Locals 42 and 3808 in developing a program to provide COVID-19 testing to Kansas City’s First Responders. 

Kansas City Workers’ Compensation Board – Board Chair.  Chair and Founding Member of Board that directs and manages the City’s workers’ compensation program.  Louie also negotiated and participated in development of the ordinance that created the Board.  

Kansas City Area Transit Authority Board of Commissioners – Commissioner.  Louie is a member of the Finance, Governance and Pension Committees. 

Kansas City Firefighters’ Pension System – Trustee.  Louie serves as one of nine Trustees who oversee and administer a $500+ million public safety employee pension system.  

Greater Kansas City Fire Fighters Alumni Association – Legal Counsel.  Counsel to this 501(c)(3) that provides financial and other assistance to retired firefighters, firefighter widows, other public safety retirees and charitable organizations with similar missions. 

Saint Florian Fund – Legal Counsel.  Counsel to 501(c)(3) that provides scholarship assistance and other charitable assistance to persons with an interest in or ties to public safety. 

Volunteer Attorney Project – Volunteer Attorney.  Provides pro bono legal counsel to indigent defendants, through the VAP, which is a joint project of The Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association and Legal Aid of Western Missouri.