Sylvia B. Penner on cold cases, comfort food and a crucial encounter
Published in 2022 Missouri & Kansas Super Lawyers magazine
By Sylvia B. Penner on November 8, 2022
The lawyer I most admire is … my dad. He practiced law from 1977 to 1995, when he joined the bench. He retired from the 18th Judicial District Court in 2015.
If I weren’t a lawyer, I’d be … investigating cold cases, working at a nonprofit, or hosting a cooking and travel show on PBS.
When I win a case, I celebrate by … having dinner with my paralegals to decompress and celebrate the fruits of our hard work.
The SCOTUS justice I’d like to meet is … RBG. I realize this is no longer possible, but she will always remain on the top of my list.
A different practice that intrigues me is … immigration law.
I can’t believe more people haven’t read … Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl. It’s a wonderful book about the breadth of humanity and the power of purpose that should be read again and again.
My real-life hero is … my maternal grandmother.
On weekends, I … recharge by cooking. An afternoon in my kitchen, followed by dinner with family, is the best thing I can do to recharge my battery.
The talent I wish I had is … singing.
The most fascinating person I ever met is … Mrs. Esther Moses. In the eighth grade, my class studied the Holocaust. My dad, who is a history buff, arranged for me to meet Mrs. Moses, a survivor of the concentration camps. She shared stories with me of the camp—about the things she witnessed and endured. And she showed me a book about the concentration camp. One page contained photographs of men, women, and children as they arrived. She pointed to one particular photo of a woman and child. The woman was her mother, and she was the child. The photograph captured the final time she ever saw her mother. I was immediately overwhelmed by emotion. It was a moment I will never forget.
The craziest thing I witnessed in a courtroom is … an attempted kidnapping. An angry parent tried to flee the courtroom with her child that was ordered to be placed with his father.
The last TV show I binge-watched was … Ozark.
My favorite podcast is … Crime Junkie.
Nothing cheers me up like … dinner with friends.
My guilty pleasure is … warm peach cobbler.
My worst previous job was … cleaning the bathrooms in a men’s dormitory while I was in college. Yuck.
Search attorney feature articles
Featured lawyers

Helpful links
Other featured articles
How Boston attorneys prosecuted the criminal trial—and helped victims in need
Discovery with Aundrea Stone Hanna
Two attorneys reflect on their Warriors and Kings fandoms
Find top lawyers with confidence
The Super Lawyers patented selection process is peer influenced and research driven, selecting the top 5% of attorneys to the Super Lawyers lists each year. We know lawyers and make it easy to connect with them.
Find a lawyer near you