About Jonathan Sternberg
Jonathan began his appellate career unusually early – briefing, arguing, and winning his first appeal while still in law school. In 2007, immediately after graduating and being admitted to the bar, he opened his appellate practice.
In more than 18 years of practice, he has represented clients across the United States in civil and criminal appeals of every kind, including Fortune 500® companies and other businesses in complex litigation; citizens challenging the validity of controversial laws; individuals facing serious criminal sentences; families navigating sensitive domestic disputes; and many others.
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In addition to his practice, Jonathan is active in numerous professional and civic organizations, including local, statewide, and national appellate-related bar associations and committees.
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He was born in 1981 in New Haven, Connecticut, and grew up in Kansas City, Missouri. A dual citizen of the United States and Austria, he and his wife, Meredith, reside in Kansas City’s Country Club District.
Education
University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law, Juris Doctor, 2007
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CALI Awards (highest grade) in Criminal Procedure and Constitutional Interpretation
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Externship with the Federal Public Defender, Western District of Missouri
University of Kansas, Bachelor of Arts in History, with honors, 2003
Awards & Recognition
Missouri Lawyers Media​
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KC Legal Leaders, 2026
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Lawyers shaping the Kansas City legal community ​
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Influential Appellate Advocates, 2025
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Lawyers responsible for the most influential Missouri appellate decisions of the prior year
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Top 100 Power List, 2022–2025
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Top 100 lawyers in Missouri; youngest listed in any year for appellate law
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The Power List: Appellate Law, 2021–2026
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Top 30 appellate lawyers in Missouri; youngest listed in 2021 and 2022​
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Profiled on the front page of Missouri Lawyers Weekly, April 15, 2013
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Up & Coming Lawyer, 2009
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Youngest awardee (age 27) and only solo practitioner honored that year
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FindLaw’s Missouri & Kansas Super Lawyers
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Listed in Missouri & Kansas Super Lawyers, 2014–2026 (top 5% of lawyers in Missouri and Kansas)
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Blue Ribbon Panel, 2025–2026
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Selected to evaluate attorneys under consideration for listing​
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Top 100, 2016, 2019–2026
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Top 100 lawyers in Missouri and Kansas; youngest in 2016 and 2019–2021
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Kansas City Top 50, 2016, 2019–2026
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Top 50 lawyers in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area; youngest in 2016 and 2019–2021
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Listed in “Rising Stars,” 2010–2013 (top 2.5% of lawyers in Missouri and Kansas under 40 years of age)
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The Best Lawyers in America ©
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Listed for Appellate Practice, 2015–2026
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Peer-reviewed as among the top 4% of lawyers nationwide
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Other honors
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Fellow, American Bar Foundation, 2020–present​
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“Best of the Bar,” Kansas City Business Journal, 2013–2016 (final year)
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Top 200 lawyers in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area
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AV® Preeminent™, Martindale-Hubbell®, 2012–2026
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Highest peer rating for ethics and legal ability
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Bar Admissions
State courts:
Federal appellate courts:
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United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit (Boston), 2014
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United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit (New York City), 2014
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United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit (Philadelphia), 2014
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United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit (Richmond), 2014
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United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit (New Orleans), 2014
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United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit (Cincinnati), 2014
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United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit (Chicago), 2014
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United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit (St. Louis), 2007
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United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (San Francisco), 2009
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United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit (Denver), 2008
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United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit (Atlanta), 2014
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United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit (Washington, D.C.), 2014
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United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, 2014
Federal district courts:
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United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri, 2007
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United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, 2008
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United States District Court for the District of Kansas, 2008
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United States District Court for the Western District of Arkansas, 2019
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United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, 2019
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United States District Court for the Central District of Illinois, 2019
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United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois, 2019
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United States District Court for the District of Colorado, 2024
Professional Affiliations
​Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis, 2020–present
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Appellate Practice Committee
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Supreme Court of Missouri Historical Society, 2016–present
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Executive Committee, 2026
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President, 2023
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President-Elect, 2022
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Board of Trustees, 2016–2026
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Kansas Bar Association, 2013–present​
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Appellate Law Section
Eighth Circuit Bar Association, 2013–present
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CLE Committee, 2022, 2024
Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association, 2008–present
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Board of Directors, 2016
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CLE Advisory Committee, 2015–2016, 2020, 2022
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President, 2016
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President-Elect, 2015
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Appellate Practice Committee
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Chair or Co-Chair, 2011–2014, 2017, 2023–2024, 2026
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Vice-Chair, 2009–2011, 2020–2022, 2025
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American Bar Association, 2007–present
The Missouri Bar, 2007–present
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Appellate Practice Committee
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Co-Chair, 2025–2026
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Leadership Team, 2024–2026
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Civil Practice & Procedure Committee
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Vice Chair, 2012–2016​
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Leadership Academy, class of 2011
Works Published
“Final means final: Rule 74.16 and the end of attorney-fee finality confusion,” Missouri Lawyers Media (May 13, 2026)
“Form and Substance: Typography and Style in Missouri Appellate Practice,” Missouri Lawyers Media (Sept. 12, 2025)
“The Reign of Three Sovereigns: Jurisdictional Puzzles in Indian Country,” Appellate Issues (American Bar Ass’n: Winter 2023)
Editor, Practical Aspects of Practicing Law: A Manual for New Missouri Lawyers (The Missouri Bar: 2011)
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(and author of § 2, The Missouri Nonpartisan Court Plan)
Professional Presentations
Various
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“Nuts and Bolts of Missouri Appellate Practice and Procedure,” many times before varied audiences, most recently in June 2025
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“Ethical Issues in Deciding Whether to Appeal,” many times before varied audiences, most recently in June 2025
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2026
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“Practical Uses of Generative and Non-Generative Artificial Intelligence in Appellate Practice,” Annual David Prager Appellate Institute, Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association (May 2026: Kansas City, Mo.)
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“Real-World Examples of Complex Appellate Practice and Procedure Issues,” Clay County Bar Association (March 2026: Liberty, Mo.)
2024
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“Preserving Error for Appeal in Kansas and Missouri Trial Courts,” Johnson County Bar Association (June 2024: Overland Park, Kan.)
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“Procedural and Strategic Differences – and Ethical Considerations – Between Civil, Criminal, and Domestic Appeals,” Annual David Prager Appellate Institute, Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association (June 2024: Kansas City, Mo.)
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2023
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“Appeals Across State Lines: Ethical Considerations in Multi-Jurisdictional Practice,” Annual David Prager Appellate Institute, Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association (May 2023: Kansas City, Mo.)
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2022
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“A Review, Not a Retrial: Perfecting the Record for Appellate Review,” Annual David Prager Appellate Institute, Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association (June 2022: Kansas City, Mo.)
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2021
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“21st Century Advocacy: Live and Remote,” Annual David Prager Appellate Institute, Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association (May 2021: Kansas City, Mo.)
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“Nuts and Bolts of Kansas Appellate Practice and Procedure,” Kansas Trial Lawyers Association (February 2021: Wichita, Kan.)
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2019
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“Interlocutory Review in Missouri, Kansas, and Federal Courts,” Annual David Prager Appellate Institute, Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association (June 2019: Kansas City, Mo.)
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2018
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“Oral and Written Advocacy for Bankruptcy Practitioners,” Kansas City Bankruptcy Bar Association (July 2018: Kansas City, Kan.)
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“Appellate Practice Update,” University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law (June 2018: St. Louis, Mo.)
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“New State and Federal Appellate Rules,” Annual David Prager Appellate Institute, Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association (May 2018: Kansas City, Mo.)
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2017
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“Appellate Practice 101,” Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association (June 2017: Independence, Mo.)
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2016
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“The Art of Persuasive Modern Brief-Writing,” Annual David Prager Appellate Institute, Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association (June 2016: Kansas City, Mo.)
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“Protecting the Record on Appeal & Preserving Issues for Appeal,” Annual Bench, Bar, and Boardroom Conference, Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association (May 2016: Branson, Mo.)
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“Preparing the Best Records and Briefs for eFiling and eReading,” Annual Bench, Bar, and Boardroom Conference, Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association (May 2016: Branson, Mo.)
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2015
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“Preparing the Best Records and Briefs for eFiling and eReading,” The Missouri Bar (Nov. 2015: Jefferson City, Mo.)
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2014
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“Issues and Ethics in Managing an Appellate Practice,” Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association (Oct. 2014: Kansas City, Mo.)
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“Obtaining Review in the Supreme Courts of Kansas and Missouri,” Annual David Prager Appellate Institute, Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association (May 2014: Kansas City, Mo.)
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“How to Protect the Record for Appeal,” Annual Bench, Bar, and Boardroom Conference, Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association (May 2014: Branson, Mo.)
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“Jones, Jardines, and Fourth Amendment Privacy in the Information Age,” Annual Bench, Bar, and Boardroom Conference, Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association (May 2014: Branson, Mo.)
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“Appellate Oral Argument Workshop,” Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association (Apr. 2014: Kansas City, Mo.)
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“Constructing a Winning Appeal,” The Missouri Bar (Mar. 2014: Kansas City, Mo.)
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2013
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“Electronically Filing ‘Tablet-Friendly’ Briefs and Records,” Annual David Prager Appellate Institute, Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association (June 2013: Kansas City, Mo.)
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2012
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“A Proposal for Modernizing Aspects of Missouri Civil Appellate Procedure,” The Missouri Bar (Nov. 2012: Jefferson City, Mo.)
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“Missouri E-Filing from a Practitioner’s Perspective,” Annual David Prager Appellate Institute, Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association (Nov. 2012)
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“Second Annual Oral Argument Workshop,” Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association / Missouri Court of Appeals, Western District (June 2012: Kansas City, Mo.)
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“The Law of State and Local Smoking Bans,” National Business Institute (Apr. 2012: Overland Park, Kan.)
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2011
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“Oral Argument Workshop,” Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association / Missouri Court of Appeals, Western District (June 2011: Kansas City, Mo.)​