Oak Grove, MO

James R. Hall

Jim Hall founded the firm along with Mr. Barton in June of 1991. He has practiced law since 1984 and has established a reputation as one of the most knowledgeable criminal defense attorneys in Western Missouri. Jim handles all types of traffic, DWI, misdemeanor and felony cases. He also is an accomplished civil trial lawyer focusing on personal injury cases. He has tried cases and helped clients recover damages suffered from medical malpractice, product liability, premises liability and auto accidents. He has been awarded Missouri Lawyers' Largest Reported Plaintiff Verdicts in 2014 with a verdict of 13.2 million. Jim handles cases in virtually any jurisdiction in Western Missouri. He currently serves as the City Prosecutor for the cities of Concordia, Lone Jack, Mayview, Napoleon, and Corder, Missouri. He is the Municipal Judge in Warresnburg, Higginsville, Knob Noster, Lamonte, and Lexington, Missouri. Jim Hall received his B.S. from CMSU in 1975 and his Juris Doctorate from UMKC in December 1983. He was admitted to the Missouri Bar in 1984. He is a past president of Eastern Jackson County Bar Association and the Missouri Municipal Prosecutor's Association. He has served on the Board of Directors of the Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys and currently for the board of the Eastern Jackson County Youth Court. He is a member of the Eastern Jackson County Bar Association, Lafayette County Bar Association and the Missouri Municipal and Associate Circuit Judges' Association.

Robert H. Schnieders

Bob Schnieders has been with the firm since shortly after the founding in June of 1991. He handles a wide variety of cases and has expertise in several areas of practice. Bob handles all of the firms worker's compensation cases and all of the appeals. He spends the majority of his time handling all types of civil litigation, including personal injury cases, business litigation, construction cases, real estate cases, and contract disputes. He also handles traffic tickets and is the City Attorney in several cities, including Concordia, Hardin, Alma, Blackburn, Corder, Lake Lafayette, Napoleon, Crystal Lakes and Mayview. He is licensed in Missouri and Kansas and handles cases in a wide array of jurisdictions. Mr. Schnieders received his BA from Benedictine College in 1987 and his Juris Doctorate from UMKC in 1992 with distinction. He graduated in the top 2 of his law school class and was selected to the Order of the Bench and Robe and was a member of the Law Review.

R. Jackson Schnieders

Jackson joined the firm in May, 2021 after completing a clerkship with the Honorable Charles H. McKenzie in the Circuit Court of Jackson County. Along with his impressive academic resumé, he brings a unique amount of experience and knowledge of the jury trial process, having served Judge McKenzie on over 20 jury trials. He handles traffic and criminal matters and assists the partners in all forms of litigation, including personal injury, real estate, contract disputes and collection cases. An Oak Grove native, Jackson graduated from Oak Grove High School in 2011. He received his B.A. from the University of St. Francis in 2015 where he was a 4-year letterman on the highly successful baseball team. He earned a number of academic and athletic awards, including twice being named a Daktronics/NAIA National Scholar Athlete. He received his J.D. from UMKC in 2018. Jackson is a member of the Missouri and Kansas Bar Associations, as well as KCMBA, Easter Jackson County Bar Association and the Lafayette County Bar Association.

L. Clay Barton

Clay Barton founded the firm with Mr. Hall in June of 1991. He has been in practice since 1973 and has developed an expertise in several areas of practice. Clay does a tremendous amount of Estate Planning and Probate Law and handles all of the firms bankruptcy cases. He has expertise in corporate and real estate transactions and his representative clients include several banking institutions and real estate agents, developers, builders and appraisers. Clay has been the City Attorney for the City of Odessa, Missouri for over 20 years and is frequently called upon by other municipalities and governmental organizations for assistance and opinions. Mr. Barton received his BA from the University of Missouri in 1970, and his Juris Doctorate from the University of Missouri in 1973. He was admitted to the Missouri Bar in 1973. He is a past present of the Missouri Municipal Attorney Association, a former Municipal Judge, and a member of the Eastern Jackson County Bar Association, Lafayette County Bar Association and the Missouri Municipal Attorney's Association.

Rachel E. Hall

Rachel grew up in Oak Grove and graduated in 2005. In 2011 she returned to Oak Grove and joined the firm after earning both her B.A. and J.D. from UMKC. She was recently welcomed as partner on October 1, 2020. Rachel handles all of the firm's family practice and is well respected by judges and attorneys who specialize in that area. She helps her clients get through a very difficult time in their lives with compassion and understanding. She is upfront and honest with her advice and never treats two cases the exact same way. Rachel enjoys finding creative solutions to complicated situations. When she is not working, Rachel enjoys spending time with her husband, stepdaughter, and two dogs. She enjoys musical theater, hiking, and random trivia knowledge.

Brooke E. Harris

Brooke joined our firm in 2017 after graduating from UMKC Law School, where she excelled academically and graduated Magna Cum Laude. She earned many awards and participated in the Law Review and the Brief Notes. She is also a graduate of Truman High School and University of Missouri (Summa Cum Laude). Brooke has focused her practice in the areas of estate planning, probate and elder law. She handles all of the firm's estate planning and probate practice, including guardianships. She represents several area banks and small businesses, and can handle other matters such as real estate transactions and general business issues. She also assists the partners with traffic cases and litigation. In her free time, Brooke enjoys running and exercising, spending time with her family, and cooking. If you or your family member needs advice about wills, trusts, powers of attorney, asset transfers, or probate, give Brooke a call.