 | |
| Abbreviation | KWAA |
|---|---|
| Formation | 1994 |
| Type | Bar Association |
| Purpose | women's professional development |
Membership | 300+ |
| Website | www.kswomenattorneys.com |
Formerly called | Jennie Mitchell Kellogg Circle |
The Kansas Women Attorneys Association (KWAA) is a voluntary, statewide bar organization devoted to advancing women in the legal profession through networking, service, and continued education. [1] The organization was formally founded in 1994, and currently has over 300 members.[ citation needed ]
In 1989, the Topeka Women Attorneys Association hosted the first Kansas state meeting for female attorneys, led by Marla Luckert. From 1989 to 1994, the Wichita Women Attorneys Association and Topeka Women Attorneys Association (now Women Attorneys Association of Topeka) shared responsibility for this annual meeting.[ citation needed ]
In 1993, conference attendees determined a need for a permanent, statewide organization for female attorneys. The Jennie Mitchell Kellogg Circle, named for Jennie Mitchell Kellogg, was formed the following year around the purposes of:
The organization later changed its name to the Kansas Women Attorneys Association. Today, KWAA continues to host the annual Lindsborg Conference, as well as encourage monthly meetings among its regional districts and their local women attorney groups. [3]
Membership to KWAA is open to all attorneys, judges, and law students, regardless of gender. This membership allows individuals to access a discounted price to the Lindsborg conference, receive legal updates and answers to questions through the listserv, and network with fellow attorneys. [4] The 365 members are formally organized into 12 location-based districts but also have the option to join practice area groups. [5] Governance for the organization is run through five committees (Awards Committee, District Representatives, KWAA Council, Lindsborg Conference Committee, and Past Presidents Council) and 26 subcommittees. [6] The membership year runs from August 1 to July 31 each year. [7]
The annual KWAA conference has been held in Lindsborg, Kansas since 1989. [8] Today,[ when? ] the conference spans three days in July and is held at Bethany College. Conference attendees have the opportunity to participate in continuing legal education courses, as well as a number of networking and social activities.[ citation needed ]
The Jennie Mitchell Kellogg Achievement Award was first presented in 1999, and has been a yearly staple since.[ according to whom? ] This award seeks to recognize a member who:
This award has been presented to notable women like Christel Marquardt, Marla Luckert, and Sally Pokorny. [9]
The Kansas Women Attorneys Association works diligently to preserve and archive historical information pertaining to the female practice of law in Kansas. Research includes a complete list of female attorneys dating back to 1881. [10] These research efforts are often aided by area law schools, including Washburn University School of Law, University of Kansas School of Law, and University of Missouri--Kansas City School of Law.
One of the projects with its sister organization, the Women Attorneys Association of Topeka, was the production of the book Journeys on the Road Less Travelled: Kansas Women Attorneys. The entire book may be found online through the Washburn University School of Law Digital Collection. [11]
Topeka is the capital city of the U.S. state of Kansas and the seat of Shawnee County. It is along the Kansas River in the central part of Shawnee County, in northeast Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 126,587. The Topeka metropolitan statistical area, which includes Shawnee, Jackson, Jefferson, Osage, and Wabaunsee Counties, had a population of 233,870 in the 2010 census.
Washburn University (WU) is a public university in Topeka, Kansas, United States. It offers undergraduate and graduate programs, as well as professional programs in law and business. Washburn has 550 faculty members, who teach more than 6,100 undergraduate students and nearly 800 graduate students. The university's assets include a $158 million endowment.
Mark Vincent Parkinson is an American businessman and former politician serving as head of the American Health Care Association (AHCA) and National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL). He served as the 47th lieutenant governor of Kansas from 2007 to 2009 and the 45th governor of Kansas from 2009 until 2011. He was also a state legislator.
The Washburn University School of Law is a public law school located on the main campus of Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas. Washburn Law was founded in 1903. The school is accredited by the American Bar Association and has been a member of the Association of American Law Schools since 1905.
The Kansas Supreme Court is the highest judicial authority in the state of Kansas. Composed of seven justices, led by Chief Justice Marla Luckert, the court supervises the legal profession, administers the judicial branch, and serves as the state court of last resort in the appeals process.
Marla J. Luckert is the chief justice of the Kansas Supreme Court appointed by Governor Bill Graves on November 20, 2002, and sworn on January 13, 2003.
Craig Schurig is an American football coach and former player. He is the current head football coach for Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas and he held that position since the 2002 season. He is the 40th person to hold the post. He is known for turning around a once losing program to a winning program. As of the 2013 Washburn University budget, Schurig's salary is listed as $101,303.
Jay Scott Emler is a former Republican member of the Kansas Senate, representing the 35th district from 2001 until 2014. He previously worked as a Municipal Judge in Lindsborg. Emler was elected by his colleagues to serve as majority leader of the Senate, following Derek Schmidt's election as Kansas Attorney General. Emler assumed the position when the Senate convened January 10, 2011. Emler accepted an appointment to the Kansas Corporation Commission and resigned his seat in the Kansas Senate in 2014; he was succeeded by Clark Shultz.
Warren W. Shaw was an American judge, a member of U.S. General Dwight D. Eisenhower's staff during World War II, a representative in the Kansas House of Representatives and the 1956 Republican nominee for Kansas governor.
Robert Stone was the Speaker of the Kansas House of Representatives and a prominent attorney and civic leader in Kansas.
Douglas S. "Doug" Wright is a former attorney, mayor of Topeka, Kansas and candidate for the United States Congress. Wright, who served as Mayor of Topeka from 1983 to 1989, is the son of another former Topeka mayor, Chuck Wright, who led the city from 1965 to 1969.
The Kansas Bar Association (KBA) is a voluntary, non-profit bar association for the state of Kansas with the headquarters located in The Robert L. Gernon Law Center at 12th and Harrison St. in Topeka. The KBA has approximately 6,500 members and was founded in 1882.
Lyman Beecher Kellogg was the first president, as well as the first teacher, of Kansas State Normal (KSN), now known as Emporia State University, in Emporia, Kansas, United States. After serving as KSN's president, Kellogg went on to become an attorney, state representative and senator, and the Kansas Attorney General.
The Washburn Ichabods men's basketball team represents Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas, in the NCAA Division II men's basketball competition. The team is currently coached by Brett Ballard, who is in his first year at the helm. Ballard replaced Bob Chipman, who retired after the 2016–17 season. The Ichabods currently compete in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA). The basketball team plays its home games in Lee Arena on campus.
Michelle White "Miki" Bowman is an American attorney who served as a member of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors since 2018. She is the first person to fill the community bank seat on the board, a seat created by a 2015 law.
Mary Virginia Mitchell Kellogg was Kansas' first female lawyer and the first woman to serve as an assistant attorney general.
Lilla Day Monroe was a lawyer, pioneer, and suffragette who spent the majority of her life in Topeka, Kansas. She contributed significantly to the women's suffrage movement in Kansas. She also compiled the stories of over 800 women pioneers, which her great-granddaughter published as a book in 1982. In 1982, she was inducted to the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame.
Marcia Cebulska is an American novelist, playwright, and screenwriter. She lives in Topeka, Kansas. Her notable literary work includes the plays Florida, and Dear John as well as her novel, Watching Men Dance. Cebulska’s writing has often reflected issues such as women’s rights, gay rights, race relations, domestic violence, and homelessness.