Kansas Securities Commissioner Aaron Jack and General Counsel Jeff Kruske Speak to Students

On Thursday, October 11, 2012, the Business and Transactional Law Center and the Center for Law and Government hosted two distinguished law school alumni, Aaron Jack '09 and Jeff Kruske '00. They spoke to students interested in business and securities law in two presentations that were as informative as they were interesting.

Aaron Jack '09, is the Kansas Securities Commissioner. Commissioner Jack holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Kansas, an M.B.A. from Friends University, and received his J.D. from Washburn University School of Law. Commissioner Jack began his consulting career in the financial services industry with Jackson National Life Distributors in Santa Monica, California, over 13 years ago. He later joined New York Life where he worked in the Individual Annuity Department as the divisional director for the West-Central Zone. Commissioner Jack's responsibilities included 3200 registered representatives and over $1.5 billion in annual sales. He served in the Kansas House of Representatives, representing the 99th District of northeast Wichita and Andover, and had just been reelected to a second term when he was appointed by Governor Sam Brownback as Kansas Securities Commissioner.

Jeff Kruske '00 is the General Counsel for the Office of the Kansas Securities Commissioner. As the chief legal officer for the agency, he oversees all legal, regulatory and enforcement actions for the office. Mr. Kruske received his bachelor's degree in Business Administration from William Jewell College in Liberty, Missouri, and his J.D. from Washburn University School of Law. Mr. Kruske worked as a securities litigator for much of his career, representing investors in securities disputes and individual brokers in employment matters and regulatory investigations. He was named in the Missouri/Kansas Superlawyers Rising Stars publication in 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011, and served as an arbitrator for the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) and the National Futures Association. He is a prolific author and a frequent lecturer to financial industry professionals.

Commissioner Jack and Mr. Kruske gave a lunch and learn presentation entitled "Private Practice, Public Service, Commercial Transactions, Complex Litigation: A Little Bit of Everything in Securities Law." Commissioner Jack discussed his experiences as in the financial services industry. He talked about the advantages of having a law degree in management positions, and the need for attorneys to understand the business of their clients. Mr. Kruske's presentation highlighted his solo practice and how he managed his legal career in his first years out of law school. He discussed networking and practice management issues as well as the negotiation and settlement process. Mr. Kruske also talked to students about securities litigation and several related areas of law in which he has experience, including employment law and bankruptcy.

After their general presentation, Commissioner Jack and Mr. Kruske joined the students during the Introduction to Securities Regulation class for a more in-depth discussion of securities law, the financial services industry, and career opportunities. At a luncheon in their honor, Commissioner Jack and Mr. Kruske fielded questions about the relationship between private practice and government service, starting a new law practice and active areas in the financial services industry.

Overall, Commissioner Jack and Mr. Kruske were extremely well received by the students, and shared information about legal practice and careers that was sincerely appreciated.