Kansas Bar Foundation Scholarships

• Jurisdiction: Kansas,United States
• Citation: Vol. 91 No. 2 Pg. 18
• Date: 01 April 2022
• Publication year: 2022
• Pages: 18
• topic: Charity and Non-Profit Law

Kansas Bar Foundation Scholarships No. 91 J. Kan. Bar Assn 2, 18 (2022) Kansas Bar Journal April, 2022

March 2022

Deserving Law Students Receive Recognition for Their High Academic Achievement Through Kansas Bar Foundation Scholarships

Some readers may have benefitted from the generosity of the Kansas Bar Foundation (KBF) donors who established a scholarship. Since the scholarship program's inception in 2007, nearly 100 scholarships have been awarded to high-achieving law students. The KBF Scholarship Committee, chaired by Lisa L. Martin, oversees the award process with final approval given by the Board of Trustees. "KBF Scholarships support students in pursuing and succeeding in their pursuit of a legal career by providing assistance to ease the financial cost of law school. The scholarships benefit the KBF and KBA by attracting extraordinary prospective members before their careers even begin. The generosity of our donors makes it possible to provide financial support to and build relationships with these deserving students."

It is with pleasure that the Board of Trustees presents the 2022 scholarship award recipients.

The Frank M. Rice Scholarship - $5,000

The scholarship promotes the practice of law in the state of Kansas by awarding tuition assistance to a student attending the University of Kansas School of Law or Washburn University School of Law. The donor of this scholarship described the purpose of the scholarship as one that is intended to help law students become lawyers in the mold of Frank M. Rice who was "among the finest.. .in the Bar. He was at the top of his class and always applied the highest level of legal scholarship to any legal matter in which he was involved." The recipient must have been admitted to law school and must be a Kansas resident.

Andrew Davis is a 3L at Washburn University School of Law. Originally from San Jose, California, he moved to Topeka when he was young. He earned a BA from Washburn University, an MFA from Minnesota State University, Mankato and a Ph.D. from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Before entering law school, Davis taught writing, composition and literature at several universities and community colleges. He decided to pursue a Juris Doctor out of a desire to help people in the Topeka community address the issues and problems most important to them.

Davis is immensely grateful for the opportunities he received at Washburn University School of Law, and for the mentorship of professors and the practitioners he worked with at Kuckelman Torline Kirkland, the National Labor Relations Board and the chambers of Chief Justice Marla Luckert. As a first-generation student, he relies more than anything on the support of his wife, Karli, his children, Felix and Daphne and the rest of his family.

"It is an indescribable honor to receive the Frank M. Rice Scholarship. My deepest gratitude to the Kansas Bar Foundation for the help this will provide my family as I wrap up my time as a law student and transition into legal practice. I can only hope to carry forward Mr. Rice's legacy within the community."

Hinkle Law Firm Student Scholarship - $3,000

This scholarship is intended for a law student at the University of Kansas School of Law or Washburn University School of Law. Applicants should demonstrate a bona fide intention to practice law in Kansas. Because community service is extremely important to the Hinkle Law firm, applicants must also demonstrate a history of community involvement to be considered.

Born and raised in Wichita, Kansas, John Ralston is a 3L at Washburn University School of Law. John attended Friends University where he majored in Spanish with a minor in music. He realized that the legal profession with its necessary mixture of logical and creative thinking was the perfect fit for him. With his love of Kansas never far from his mind, he chose to attend Washburn Law with the goal of returning to Wichita upon graduation. As a first-generation lawyer, he currently serves as a Notes Editor for the Washburn Law Journal and is a proud recipient of the J.L. Wiegand Notre Dame Legal Education Trust.

During his 1L summer, Ralston had the honor of interning for the Honorable Eric Melgren at the federal district courthouse in Wichita. He spent his second summer as a summer associate for Triplett Woolf Garretson. He has continued working with the firm in his 3L year as a participant in Washburn's Third Year Anywhere program. After graduation, Ralston will begin a two-year clerkship for Judge Melgren.

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