Total Credits: 6.5 MCLE, 1.0 Ethics
Exact times may change
9-9:50 a.m. | State of the division
Speakers: Hon. Angela C. Heffner, Chief ALJ, Missouri Division of Workers' Compensation, Kansas City; Hon. Karen L. Johnson, Chief ALJ, Missouri Division of Workers' Compensation, Springfield; Hon. Jason A. Tilley, Chief ALJ, Missouri Division of Workers' Compensation, Perryville; Hon. D. Lucas Boling, Chief ALJ, Missouri Division of Workers' Compensation, Jefferson City
9:50-9:55 a.m. | Break
9:55-10:45 a.m. | Inside the toolkit: How physical therapy special tests guide effective treatment and recovery
Explaining and demonstrating diagnostic tests and PT therapies
Speakers: Debbie Goltschman, Motion Orthopaedics, Creve Coeur; Jennifer Schnieders, DPT, Outbound Physical Therapy & Rehab, Jefferson City
10:45-10:50 a.m. | Break
10:50-11:40 a.m. | Pain management benefits and risks of commonly prescribed medications
Speakers: Dr. Jordan D. Farley, Motion Orthopaedics, Creve Coeur; Da-Niel A. Cunningham, Attorney at Law, St. Louis
11:40 a.m.-12:10 p.m. | Lunch
12:10-1 p.m. | Mediation strategies and stumbling blocks: A panel discussion
Speakers: Hon. John K. Ottenad, Manchester; Jill S. Bollwerk, Bollwerk & Associates, LLC, St. Louis; Brandy L. Johnson, SIU School of Law, Carbondale, IL
1-1:05 p.m. | Break
1:05-1:55 p.m. | Ethics
Speaker: Melinda J. Bentley, Office of Legal Ethics Counsel & Advisory Committee of the Supreme Court of Missouri, Jefferson City
1:55-2 p.m. | Break
2-3:15 p.m. | Case law update
Speakers: Kevin M. Johnson, Wallace Saunders, Overland Park, KS; Patrick J. Platter, The Law Firm of Neale & Newman LLP, Springfield; Caroline Marie Bean, Missouri Attorney General's Office, St. Louis
3:15 p.m. | Adjourn
Opinions and positions stated by presenters of MoBarCLE programs are those of the presenters and not necessarily those of The Missouri Bar. This program is intended as information for lawyers in Missouri, in conjunction with other research they deem necessary, in the exercise of their independent judgment.
Caroline M.C. Bean is an assistant attorney general with the Missouri Attorney General's office where she practices in the area of workers’ compensation defense, representing the Second Injury Fund and CARO. Ms. Bean earned her B.A. degree cum laude, from the University of Missouri-St. Louis, and her J.D. and EMIB degrees from St. Louis University. Ms. Bean is a member of the Missouri Bar, the Illinois Bar, and the Colorado Bar.
Melinda J. Bentley serves as Legal Ethics Counsel in Missouri where she provides oral and written informal advisory opinions to attorneys on issues related to the Missouri Rules of Professional Conduct. In that position, she also serves as administrator and counsel to the Advisory Committee of the Supreme Court of Missouri. She began serving in that position in 2012. Prior to that she worked for the Illinois State Bar Association as Assistant Counsel from 2001-03, First Assistant Counsel from 2003-11, and Assistant Director of Legislative Affairs from 2009-11. She is a frequent speaker and author on professional responsibility matters. Ms. Bentley currently serves as a member of the ABA Professionalism Committee, the Planning Committee for The Missouri Bar Solo and Small Firm Conference, and the National Organization of Bar Counsel’s Committees on Amicus, Website, and Program. She was a board member and officer of the National Organization of Bar Counsel from 2015-2020, including a term as President from 2018-2019, and formerly served on the ABA Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility (2020-2023), Editorial Board of the ABA/BNA Lawyers’ Manual on Professional Conduct as a member (2015-2016) and Chair (2016-2018), Co-Chair of the Planning Committee for the American Bar Association (ABA) Center for Professional Responsibility’s National Conference on Professional Responsibility (2024-2025), and is as well as a member of the ABA Center for Professional Responsibility Coordinating Council (2016-2018; 2024-2025). She is licensed in both Missouri and Illinois, and is a member of The Missouri Bar, Illinois State Bar Association, American Bar Association, National Organization of Bar Counsel, Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis, Cole County Bar Association, and Mid-Missouri Women Lawyers’ Association.
Lucas Boling is LIRC's Chief Legal Counsel. He previously served as OCDC staff counsel and The Missouri Bar's CLE/Practice Management director. His workers’ compensation experience includes Missouri AGO Labor Division Unit Leader, LIRC counsel, and DWC Deputy Director. He is a graduate of Truman State and MU School of Law.
Da-Niel worked as part of the St. Louis County Counselor's Office Risk/Work Comp team. Prior to that, she worked at the Missouri Attorney General's Office in both the Public Safety and Labor Divisions.
Angie Heffner, of Kansas City, is an Administrative Law Judge at the Missouri Division of Workers’ Compensation, currently serving as the Chief Administrative Law Judge of the West Region. She was appointed in 2015 and has more than 30 years of experience in state government. Heffner is a graduate of the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law and a graduate of the University of Kansas. She has four children and loves all things related to the Chiefs, Royals and the University of Kansas.
Kevin M. Johnson is a Practicing Partner with the firm, and he has practiced with Wallace Saunders since 2002. He earned his undergraduate degree summa cum laude in 1998 from Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Oklahoma, and his law degree in 2001 from the University of Missouri at Columbia School of Law. He is licensed to practice law in Missouri, Kansas, and Illinois, and his practice focus is on workers’ compensation and employment litigation.
John Ottenad is an experienced Administrative Law Judge with a demonstrated history of adjudicating workers’ compensation cases and working in the government administration industry. He is skilled in public speaking, nonprofit organizations, event planning, nonprofit management, conflict resolution, and volunteer management. Mr. Ottenad is a strong legal professional with a Doctor of Law (J.D.) from Washington University in St. Louis.
Patrick J. Platter is a partner with the law firm of Neale & Newman, L.L.P. of Springfield, Missouri. He is a graduate of the University of Missouri-Columbia with undergraduate and law degrees. He specializes in workers’ compensation law, local government law, administrative law, and employment law. He has tried hundreds of workers’ compensation claims before the Division of Workers’ Compensation and appeals before the Labor and Industrial Relations Commission and appellate courts. His appeals in workers’ compensation claims have spanned a wide range of subject in The Workers’ Compensation Law. Mr. Platter is a certified mediator under Rule 17. He is a member of the Mo Bar Fee Dispute Resolution Committee. He is published in the Journal of the Missouri Bar and speaks to many professional and trade organizations in workers’ compensation and employment law. He is recognized in Super Lawyers® in workers’ compensation law and The Best Lawyers of America© in local government law.
JD from Southern Illinois University, graduating in 2001. Missouri State Public Defender from 2001 to 2007. Operated a private practice until March of 2019 when he was appointed as an Administrative Law Judge for Workers’ Compensation. He was appointed as the Chief Administrative Law Judge in August of 2023.
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Mon, May 04, 2026 - 9:00 AM to 3:15 PM CDT
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