Kursten Phelps is 2010 Law Clinic Raymond Spring Award Recipient
Kursten Phelps has been selected to receive the Raymond Spring Award for 2010. The award is given annually to the Washburn Law Clinic intern who has demonstrated the highest commitment to providing legal services to clients in need. Kursten will receive the award at the Kansas Association for Justice annual conference in Kansas City on Friday, December 3, 2010.
Kursten worked under the supervision of Associate Professor Lynette Petty. She represented clients in domestic and immigration matters and served as guardian ad litem in the child in need of care court. Her primary interest in pursuing a law degree was so she could help victims of domestic violence and help undocumented aliens obtain legal immigration status. After passing the July 2010 bar exam, Kursten became the immigration and outreach project attorney for the Kansas Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence (KCSDV). Her work in the Law Clinic, as well as previous experience clerking for Kansas Legal Services and in a private immigration office, prepared Kursten for the position at KCSDV.
Kursten's work in the Law Clinic was complex and demanding. She represented an undocumented teenage boy in foster care who was about to age out of the system with no way to legally stay or work in the United States; the boy is now a lawful permanent resident as a result of Kursten's advocacy. Kursten also represented a woman from Mexico who was the victim of severe abuse by her undocumented husband; she helped the woman apply for a U-Visa, an immigration status available to people who cooperate with law enforcement. In addition, Kursten assisted a woman who was the victim of domestic abuse by her U.S. citizen husband by filing a Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) self-petition which may ultimately allow the woman to become a lawful permanent resident.
Kursten was diligent in her representation and dedicated to helping her clients meet their goals. The work Kursten pursues requires a special type of person – a person who inspires trust, who is willing to research difficult legislation and regulations, and who looks for solutions to complicated issues. Kursten Phelps is that kind of person and will be a credit to the legal profession.
Posted December 2, 2010. (Lynette Petty contributed to this article.)
