What is your role at UMB?
As UMB’s chief legal officer, I oversee the strategy, operations and management of UMB’s Corporate Legal function. In this role, I provide strategic counsel to company leaders, guide the organization on legal matters and work closely with our legal team to problem solve and provide general legal advice.
Did you always know you wanted to be a lawyer?
Surprisingly, no. I grew up on a farm outside Joplin, Missouri, and didn’t know many lawyers or have exposure to the practice of law. I attended the University of Central Missouri (UCM) with the intention of studying musical theatre but discovered early on that while I love the arts, they weren’t my true calling. 
Instead, I thought back to what I loved most in high school, and that was speech and debate, solving problems and politics—a perfect mix for a political science major.
So, I graduated with a bachelor’s degree from UCM, took a leap of faith and started studying for the LSATs to pursue a law degree. I graduated from the University of Missouri (MU) law school in 2010 and began my legal career working at a Kansas City nonprofit before working as a judicial law clerk at the Jackson County Circuit Court. After two years as a clerk, I joined the law firm of Walters, Bender, Strohbehn & Vaughan as an associate attorney working on commercial litigation before joining the UMB team.
How has your career continued to grow since then?
Working at UMB has given me a great opportunity to identify what I am good at and continue to hone my skills over time. I loved being a litigator, but UMB is such a diverse financial institution, I found myself interested in maturing our entire department and the technology and processes we use. I presented the idea for my next role to my boss and our CEO, and they agreed. Since then, I now manage the legal team where I continue to drive my passion for developing our department and people at UMB.
What are some of the ways that the legal team has evolved as you’ve moved into your leadership position?
UMB’s legal team is unique in the way we are structured. As the bank grew, we grew the legal team along with it and intentionally brought on professionals who specialized in specific aspects of finance law, rather than generalists. By doing this, we are staffed in such a way that we are able to handle a large volume of special project work along with outside counsel.
What community service activities are you involved in?
I believe deeply in the power of giving back and currently:
- Serve as Chair of the board for the Children’s Services Fund of Jackson County‡, a non-profit that provides health and social-emotional well-being of children.
- Volunteer with the Association for Women Lawyers of Greater Kansas City‡, an organization formed to help advance the role of women in the legal profession.
- Speak to law students at KU, UMKC and MU (my alma mater).
- Serve as the Executive Sponsor for UMB’s Young Professional’s Business Resource Group.
Previously, I have:
- Served on the board of Lazarus Ministries‡, a kitchen and clothes pantry in Kansas City.
- Volunteered for Cultivate KC‡, a nonprofit that grows and shares healthy food for area residents.
- Worked with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Kansas City‡.
- Volunteered with Newhouse KC‡, a domestic violence shelter.
What approach do you take to balancing all that you do to be aligned with what’s important to you?
I focus on being fully present, whether it’s with my family and friends, colleagues at work or members of the community. I have to be intentional with my time, particularly outside of work because it can be so limited, and being fully present is a skill that I have sharpened over the years.
Early in my career, I suffered from tunnel vision, or the inability to share my attention when I was hyper-focused on a work challenge. I think we all naturally improve in this capacity with age and experience, but I also believe that we have to be intentional and mindful of how we show up. That is something I have worked really hard on.
Amy Harris’ impact – both through her leadership at UMB and her deep commitment to the community – earned her a place on American Banker’s The Most Powerful Women in Banking: NEXT list‡, which recognizes young leaders who stand out in the banking industry. She was also named a Corporate Counsel Magazine Champion of Diversity in 2024‡ and a 2024 Innovative Leadership Honoree in the Corporate Counsel Women, Influence and Power in Law Awards‡. In addition, Amy was recognized on Ingram’s 40 under 40‡ class of 2021, a prominent and competitive designation, and in that same year was honored with a Women’s Justice Award from Missouri Lawyer’s Media‡.
To hear Amy talk more about being an empathetic servant leader and giving back, listen to her interview on the Future is Bright Podcast‡ where she describes her career journey.
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