O’Malley was recognized for a career dedicated to improving the lives of children. She served as director of the UMKC School of Law Child and Family Services Clinic for more than 20 years and was director of Kansas City Youth Court, housed at the law school, for 17 years. Prior to her time at UMKC, O’Malley was a social worker with the Missouri Division of Family Services and a prosecuting attorney at the Jackson County Family Court.

“I am incredibly honored to receive this award, and I know it’s being given to me because of the opportunities I was afforded at UMKC Law,” O’Malley said. “Being a professor extended any impact my work might have because of the students I’ve mentored through the years. I’ve always tried to instill a sense of pride in our profession as well as a deep understanding of the privilege it is to help people resolve problems at what is possibly the most difficult time of their life. To this day, I cannot believe I had what was the dream job of a lifetime with the smartest, most caring people.”

During O’Malley’s time as director of the UMKC Law Child and Family Services Clinic, the clinic established permanent homes for more than 1,000 children, many of whom were living with family members who did not have legal guardianship over them. Family legal services are one of the largest unmet needs in Missouri. The clinic helps fill the gap with an average of 2,000 hours of service annually, provided free of charge to the families.