About Us

Cory was born in Kansas City, Missouri but was raised in Ardmore, Oklahoma. Cory made his way back to the mid-west to attend Graceland University in Lamoni, Iowa. Cory graduated from Graceland University in 2009 with a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and Religion. After obtaining his undergraduate degree, Cory made his way to Kansas City to attend Saint Paul School of Theology. Cory graduated from Saint Paul in 2012 with a Master of Arts in Theological Studies and then went on to be a young adult minister for three years before being drawn to law school. Cory enrolled at UMKC School of Law in 2016 and graduated in May of 2019 with his Juris Doctorate and an emphasis in Family Law. After passing the Missouri Bar, Cory joined Shepherd Elder Law Group, LLC.

Cory became interested in Elder Law after taking a course on the subject while in his second year of law school and has been striving to gain knowledge and experience in the field ever since. Cory lives in North Kansas City with his wife, Jessica. In his spare time, he enjoys cooking, reading, attempting to play the guitar, and traveling with Jessica.

Michael joined SELG in 2017 as our Community Liaison Director and is our representative who graciously and adeptly maintains and fosters our firm’s presence in the Senior Care community in Johnson County and surrounding areas of the KC metro. Born in South Bend, Indiana and raised in California, Michael has earned three Master’s Degrees in the fields of Education and Theology. Most recently, Michael served as Hospice Chaplain in both Chicago and Kansas City. He has been married to his lovely wife, Vicki, for 10 years, and in their free time, they enjoy spending time at Table Rock Lake. Michael is also a skilled fisherman, chef, and maker of beer & wine. His love of people, especially the elderly, makes him a true blessing to our firm.​

Sara joined SELG in February, 2018 as a Community Education Liaison for the Northland with the goal of bringing awareness of our firm’s presence in the Senior Care community. She predominantly serves Clay, Platte, and Ray counties. Sara has lived in the Northland for the past 35 years and grew up in rural, northern Missouri. She is a retired Family and Consumer Sciences teacher where she taught in the Liberty and the North Kansas City School Districts. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in education at Northwest Missouri State University and a Master’s Degree in Social Gerontology from the University of Central Missouri. She has a passion for working with the senior adult community. During her teaching career, she integrated intergenerational education with teens and senior adults. She also taught courses on healthy aging and the family life cycle. Her experience in education is also bringing awareness to the community of Special Needs and the protections that our firm provides this population. She has been married to her husband, Tom, for 29 years. They do not have children but have two fur babies that they dearly love. Sara also teaches five yoga classes a week, enjoys walking for fitness and an occasional game of Pickleball with her neighbors. She and her husband enjoy time with family and are the sole caregivers for her 95 year old mother. Sara loves her association with the firm and has a sincere desire to introduce the Northland community to the services that SELG provides.​

Jude is originally from Northwest Arkansas. He got his undergraduate degree in Spanish and English as a Second Language, and has since spent his career in multiple nonprofit fields including emergency state care for children and youth, assisted living and direct care of adults with mental disabilities, and international empowerment and sustainability initiatives. He moved to Kansas City in the summer of 2017 and joined the team in March 2020 as a Legal Assistant. In his free time, Jude enjoys local live music, the outdoors, and volunteering with his local nonprofit community, Kansas City Oasis. 

Andrea joined the staff in our Hutchinson office in 2018 as a Legal Assistant. Raised in New Mexico, Andrea moved to Hutchinson, a place she has made home for her & her daughter. After earning an Associates degree in Applied Management & Small Business Marketing from Hutchinson Community College, she worked as both an office assistant and chiropractic assistant where she shared both her administrative skills as well as her commitment to caring for the wellness of others. Andrea has been a stay-at-home mom to her daughter and has lived in many different cities around the country. She loves all types of crafts and is talented at sewing and jewelry making.

Robert Sypniewski is a Paralegal who joined Shepherd Elder Law in March of 2019. After eight years of honorable service as an Intelligence Specialist and Paralegal with the United States Marine Corps, he moved to the Kansas City area to pursue his education at Rockhurst University, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in English and a minor in philosophy that emphasized ethical theory. No stranger the sacrifice and dedication required to help others, Robert is committed to helping the elderly community with their unique and complex needs.

As an accomplished writer and military veteran, Robert takes pride in writing about his life experiences and shares this by submitting his work to literary journals. Aside from writing, Robert enjoys spending time with his daughter and baking a plethora of goods. Though busy with parenting and his career at Shepherd Elder Law, he can always put aside time to read a good book.

Lauren graduated from the University of Kansas in 2010 with a Bachelor’s degree in English and started her career in the custom print manufacturing industry before joining Sprint’s Workforce Management team.  While at Sprint, she began the Paralegal Certification Program at JCCC. Her interest in language and the law began at a young age, and she could usually be found with her face buried in a book. Lauren was born in Kansas City, Missouri and raised in Stilwell, Kansas.  In her spare time, she enjoys medical TV dramas, reading, practicing yoga, and learning how to cook new dishes.