Tom Porto

Tom Porto is a trial lawyer who represents people facing catastrophic injury and wrongful death, with many cases involving children or families whose loss stems from a preventable institutional failure. His practice covers severe injury, wrongful death, police brutality, and jail deaths. Tom began his career as a Missouri State Public Defender, which shaped his trial approach and his instinct to represent people facing the weight of systems that overlook ordinary lives. He was elected to the Missouri Bar Board of Governors in 2018 and to the 16th Circuit Judicial Commission in 2024. He serves as Chairman of the Board of the Planned Industrial Expansion Authority of Kansas City, focused on housing for low-income residents. A Kansas City native and Rockhurst High School graduate, Tom earned his journalism degree from the University of Missouri School of Journalism and his law degree from the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law.