Joni J Franklin

Bar Admissions

Kansas, 1996

Oklahoma, 2017

Missouri, 2019

As the owner of her own law firm since 2006, Joni is responsible for a full caseload of workers' compensation, personal injury, and fertility law cases. Although she has a thriving practice, she treats each and every client with the personal attention they want and deserve.

Joni has worked with hundreds and hundreds of injured workers from all careers and walks of life, she understands as a former injured worker herself just how difficult and frustrating the workers’ compensation process can be. This same passion and care expand to her personal injury clients as well.

Joni has proudly represented Union Labor for the entirety of her career. She has been retained by both private and public collective bargaining units, including the International Association of Firefighters Local #135 and Local #179.

She actively drafts and negotiates collective bargaining agreements, and handles all aspects of Union grievances from drafting to arbitration, or full-blown trials and post-hearing appeals.

Additionally, for over the past decade, Joni has built an amazing fertility law practice, serving Intended Parents, Gestational Carriers, Egg/Sperm/Embryo Donors, and Recipients through all of their respective journeys. She provides full-service, highly personalized, and highly responsive representation to all of her clients – regardless of the path their journey is taking them on. Joni is very experienced in drafting and negotiating surrogacy, as well as egg/sperm/embryo donation agreements.

She can also walk Intended Parents step by step through the parentage establishment process, to make the legal portion of any surrogacy journey easy and stress-free. Above all, Joni is passionate about this area of her practice and loves assisting in family formation for all persons and all families seeking to expand their family unit with a child(ren) through assisted reproductive technology. Joni is pre-eminent in this area of law in the Midwest providing such representation to clients in Kansas, Oklahoma, and Missouri.

Joni has received many awards both professionally and, in the community, including being awarded the Pro Bono Service Award for her volunteer work on the protection from abuse docket, as well as through community charities such as the Arthritis Foundation and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

Joni’s greatest accomplishment is of course her family. Her husband Aaron, who is a dedicated public servant to the community, as well as her two children, Gabe and Lulu. Lulu joined the family at the age of 6 months when she was adopted from Vietnam.

If you have been injured while at work, contact a Wichita Workers’ Compensation Attorney at the Franklin Law Office today to schedule a free initial consultation.

If you are looking for assistance in expanding your family through a surrogacy arrangement, egg/sperm/embryo donation, or any assisted reproductive technology, trust an experienced attorney and contact Joni Franklin.

• Kansas State University (Bachelor of Arts) (Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa) 1993
• Major: Psychology with an emphasis in Anthropology
• Nairobi Law Institute, Nairobi, Kenya (certificate of course completion) 1994
• Kansas University (Juris Doctor) 1996
• 2009 – completed Program on Negotiation interest-based bargaining course at Harvard Law School
• 2012 – completed 48 hours of mediation training, including core mediation
• 2013 – certified by the Kansas State Board of Education as a Due Process Hearings Officer
  

• Franklin Law Office, P.A. (owner) 2006 – Present
• Protection from Abuse Docket/Kansas Legal Services, Wichita, KS Office, 1997 – 2014
• Alexander, Casey, Dwyer, McPherson & Franklin, Independent Practitioner, 2003 – 2006
• Kansas Lottery Commissioner, Governor of the State of Kansas, 2005 – Present
• Alexander, Floodman & Casey, Chtd., Attorney, Partner, 2002 – 2003
• Render Kamas, L.C., Senior Associate Attorney, 1997 – 2002
• Prochaska & Scott, P.A., Associate Attorney, 1996 – 1997
• Wyandotte & Douglas County District Attorney’s Office, Internship, 1995 – 1996
  

• National Board of Representatives for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, 2005 – 2006
• President of the Kansas Chapter of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, 2005 – 2006
• Presidential Citation from the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (Wichita) in 2000 and 2002
• Member Board of Trustees for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (Wichita), 2001 – 2002
• Vice President of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (Wichita), 2003
• President of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (Wichita), 2004
• Chairperson of the Wichita Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Man & Woman of the Year Campaign 2001 & 2003
• 1999 Leukemia Society Woman of the Year
• 2000 Leukemia & Lymphoma committee chairperson for the Man/Woman of the Year
• Junior League of Wichita, Member, 2002 – 2003
• Chairperson for 2010, 2011, 2102, and 2013 Arthritis Art Gala, including planning event.
• Host for the 2003 Annual Arthritis Foundation Gala
• 1999 Big Heart Award from MDA lock-up event
• Cystic Fibrosis (Wichita Chapter) volunteer
• Katelyn’s Hope volunteer and Board of Trustee member 1997-2002 (charity for deaf/blind children)
• Habitat for Humanity volunteer, 1998
• Habitat for Humanity volunteer, 2003
• Member, Humane Society
• I have been an avid traveler and do yearly presentations about my travels and profession to a few local elementary schools.
• In 2001 I completed the Chicago Marathon as part of the Team -N- Training for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
• Volunteer, St. Thomas Aquinas School lunchroom.
• Coordinate donations to orphanages in the Phu To province of Vietnam with baby clothes, toys, and formula.
• Kansas Bar Association Certificate for Pro Bono Commitment, 2002
  

• Columnist and Reporter for the Bar-o-Meter, Wichita Bar Association’s Publication
  

• Law Day Speaker, giving presentations to local school classes regarding various areas of the law.
  

• Louise Mattox Lifetime Achievement Award 2019
• Kansas Bar Association Pro Bono Publico Award, 2013
• Completed 48 Hours of Mediation Training, including Core Mediation, and Domestic Law Mediation/Case Management, 2012
• Kansas Bar Association Outstanding Young Lawyer of the Year, 2005
• Wichita Business Journal 40 Under 40, 2003
• Wichita Bar Association President’s Award for Outstanding Service to the Wichita Bar Association, 2002
• Best of Wichita's Top Three Family Law Firms, 2023
  

• American Bar Association member, Family Law, and Assisted Reproductive Technology Sections.
• SEEDS (Society for Ethics in Egg Donation and Surrogacy) member.
• Appointed by the Governor of the State of Kansas as a Kansas Lottery Commissioner, 2004 – 2011
• Appointed by the Governor as Chairperson of the Kansas Lottery Commission, 2010 – 2011
• Kansas Bar Association, Trustee at Large, 2005 – 2010
• Kansas Bar Foundation, Secretary/Treasurer, 2010 – 2011
• Kansas Bar Foundation, President-Elect, 2011 – 2012
• Kansas Bar Foundation, President, 2012 – 2013
• Kansas Bar Association Young Lawyers Association, President-Elect, 2002 – 2003
• Kansas Bar Association Young Lawyers Association, President, 2003 – 2004
• Kansas Bar Association, Kansas Young Lawyers Section, ABA Delegate, 2004 – 2005
• Kansas Bar Association, Delegate to the American Bar Association Multiple Conventions, 2003
• Kansas Bar Foundation, Trustee, 2000 – 2002
• Kansas Bar Foundation, Trustee, 2004 – 2007
• Wichita Bar Association, Board of Governors, 2002 – 2004
• Wichita Bar Association, Board of Governors, 2001 – 2002
• Wichita Bar Association, Chairperson, Membership Committee, 2004 – 2013
• Wichita Bar Association, Chairperson, Membership Committee, 2009 – Present
• Wichita Young Lawyers, President, 2000 – 2001
• Wichita Young Lawyers, Social Chairperson, 1998 – 1999
• Kansas Trial Lawyers Board of Governors, 1998 – 2002
• Wichita Women Attorneys Association, Membership Chair, 2001 – 2002
• Wichita Women Attorneys Association KBA (Kansas Bar Association), Liaison, 2002 – Present
• Wichita Women Attorneys Association, Executive Committee, 2001 – 2006
• Pro-bono attorney for Wichita Lawyers Who Care (representing economically underprivileged clients), volunteer attorney for the PFA (Protection from Abuse) docket (representing abused spouses and significant others free of charge)
• Wichita Bar Association’s Publication, Bar-O-Meter, Columnist & Reporter
• Appointed by Kathleen Babcock as Kansas Disciplinary Hearing Panel member on two panels in 2002, 2004, and 2010. Serve as a judge on a panel of three to determine recommendations to be made to the Supreme Court of Kansas regarding disciplinary matters pending against an attorney in Kansas.
• Wichita Bar Association, Member
• Kansas Bar Association, Member
• American Bar Association, Member
• Wichita Women’s Attorney’s Association, Member
• Wichita Bar Association, Women’s Attorney Division, Member
• Kansas Bar Association, Women’s Attorney Division, Member
• Wichita Bar Association, Secretary/Treasurer
• Wichita Bar Association, Executive Board Member, 2008 – 2009
• Wichita Bar Association, Membership Chair, 2009 – Present
  

• Repeat speaker for American Bar Association, Assisted Reproductive Technology section.
• Speaker for SEEDS conferences.
• Appointed and Chairperson of the Kansas Employee Employer Relations Board 2020 through the present.
• Appointed by the Governor of the State of Kansas as a Kansas Lottery Commissioner – 2004-2011
• Appointed by the Governor as Chairperson of the Kansas Lottery Commission – 2010-2011
• Kansas Bar Association Outstanding Young Lawyer of the Year – 2005
• Kansas Bar Foundation Trustee at Large – 2005-2010
• Kansas Bar Foundation Secretary/Treasurer – 2010-2011
• Kansas Bar Foundation President-Elect – 2011-2012
• Kansas Bar Foundation President – 2012- 2013 (now immediate past president)
• Elected President-Elect of the Kansas Bar Association Young Lawyers Association in the 2002-2003 term, and President in 2003-2004
• term
• Kansas Bar Association Pro Bono Publico Award 2013
• ABA delegate for the Kansas Young Lawyers Section of the Kansas Bar Association 2004-2005
• Wichita 40 Under 40 – 2003
• Kansas Bar Association Delegate to the American Bar Association multiple conventions
• Trustee for the Kansas Bar Foundation 2000-2002, 2004-2007
• Elected by the Wichita Bar Association to the Board of Governors 2002-2004
• 2001-2002, 2004-2013 Chairperson of the Wichita Bar Association Membership Committee, which included heading a charity event to benefit the Orpheum, as well as increasing overall membership and attendance of the membership at large
• 2009-present Chairperson of the Wichita Bar Association Membership Committee, which included organizing the first annual family event, a picnic, and event at the Sedgwick County Zoo
• President of Wichita Young Lawyers 2000-2001
• Social Chairperson of the Wichita Young Lawyers 1998-1999
• Kansas Trial Lawyers Board of Governors 1998-2002
• Wichita Women Attorneys Association membership chair 2001-2002
• Wichita Women Attorneys Association KBA (Kansas Bar Association) liaison 2002 – present
• Wichita Women Attorneys Association executive committee 2001- 2006, again responsible for new membership growth.
• Pro-bono attorney for Wichita Lawyers Who Care (representing economically underprivileged clients), volunteer attorney for the PFA (Protection from Abuse) docket (representing abused spouses and significant others free of charge)
• Kansas Bar Association Certificate for Pro Bono Commitment 2002
• Wichita Bar Association President’s Award for Outstanding Service to the Wichita Bar Association 2002
• Columnist and reporter for the Bar-o-meter (Wichita Bar Association’s Publication)
• Law Day Speaker, giving presentations to local school classes regarding various areas of the law
• Appointed by Kathleen Babcock as Kansas Disciplinary Hearing Panel member on two panels in 2002, 2004, and 2010. Serve as a judge on a panel of three to determine recommendations to be made to the Supreme Court of Kansas regarding disciplinary matters pending against an attorney in Kansas
• Also a member of the Wichita, Kansas and American Bar Associations, Wichita Women’s Attorney’s Association, Wichita, Kansas, and Kansas Bar Association Women’s Attorney Division
• Wichita Bar Association Secretary/Treasurer and Executive Board Member – 2008-2009, and membership chair from 2009-present
  

• National Board of Representatives for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. 2005-2006
• President of the Kansas Chapter of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society 2005-2006
• Presidential Citation from the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (Wichita) in 2000 and 2002
• Member Board of Trustees for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (Wichita) 2001-2012
• Vice President of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (Wichita) 2003
• President of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (Wichita) 2004
• Chairperson of the Wichita Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Man & Woman of the Year Campaign 2001 & 2003
• 1999 Leukemia Society Woman of the Year
• 2000 Leukemia & Lymphoma committee chairperson for the Man/Woman of the Year
• Junior League of Wichita, member 2002-2003
• Chairperson for 2010, 2011, 2102, and 2013 Arthritis Art Gala, including planning events.
• Host for the 2003 Annual Arthritis Foundation Gala
• 1999 Big Heart Award from the MDA lock-up event
• Cystic Fibrosis (Wichita Chapter) volunteer
• Katelyn’s Hope volunteer and Board of Trustee member 1997-2002 (charity for deaf/blind children)
• Habitat for Humanity volunteer in 1998 and 2003
• Member of the Humane Society
• I have been an avid traveler and do yearly presentations about my travels and profession to a few local elementary schools
• In 2001 I completed the Chicago Marathon as part of the Team -N- Training for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
• Volunteer at St. Thomas Aquinas School lunchroom
• Coordinate donations to orphanages in the Phu To province of Vietnam with baby clothes, toys, and formula
  

• Phi Beta Kappa