Alumni in the News

Carol Longenecker Schmidt, '11, was selected as the 2011 recipient of the Kansas Association for Justice Raymond Spring Award. This award is bestowed upon the Law Clinic intern who has demonstrated the highest commitment to providing legal services to clients in need. Carol was nominated for the award by two of her Clinic professors, John Francis and Randall Hodgkinson.

George A. Barton , '77, Kansas City, Missouri, will be honored as the Washburn University Alumni Fellow from the law school on October 27, 2011. Sponsored by the Washburn University deans and the Alumni Association, the Alumni Fellows program recognizes alumni who have distinguished themselves in their career fields. The Alumni Fellows program brings successful alumni to campus to meet with students, faculty, and other alumni and share their expertise formally and informally in the classroom and other campus settings.

Former Senator Bob Dole, '52, was the first Kansan to be honored on the Kansas Walk of Honor. Sen. Dole and his wife, Elizabeth, joined Governor Brownback and the First Lady to witness the unveiling of the bronze plaque on Friday, September 30, 2011 at 10:00 a.m. at the southeast corner of the Statehouse south lawn. The Walk of Honor is located within the sidewalks on the Statehouse grounds and features people who have contributed on a state and national level and have significant connections to Kansas.

Steven R. Ebberts, Class of 1993, was appointed by Governor Sam Brownback on July 19, 2011 to the Third Judicial District Court of Shawnee County. Ebberts was appointed as Associate and Administrative Judge for the Topeka Municipal Court in 2003; prior to that he engaged in general private and public practice. He served as the 2010-2011 President of the Kansas Municipal Judges Association. In making the appointment, Governor Brownback said "I am pleased to appoint Judge Ebberts to the Third Judicial District Court. He has demonstrated his commitment to his community and to the Kansas judicial process during his years of service, both public and private, and I am convinced he will continue to serve the people of Kansas in this new role for years to come." Ebberts appointment fills a vacancy created when the Governor appointed Judge David Bruns, Class of 1984, to the Kansas Court of Appeals.

Washburn University School of Law alumni received awards at the Kansas Bar Association Installation and Awards Dinner held during the KBA Annual Meeting and Joint Judicial Conference on June 10, 2011. Awards were presented to: The Honorable Daniel L. Love, '76, and Patricia A. Scalia, '78 (Outstanding Service); Melissa R. Doeblin, '05 (Outstanding Young Lawyer); William L. Frost, '75 (Distinguished Government Service); Pedro L. Irigonegaray, '73 (Courageous Attorney Award); Zach Chaffee-McClure, '07 (Pro Bono Award); and Paige J. Eichert, '08, Emily A. Hartz, '01, Luanne C. Leeds, '06, and John Paul D. Washburn, '07 (Pro Bono Certificates).

Lifetime Achievement Awards were presented to Samuel E. Cary, 1910; The Honorable Sam A. Crow, 1952; Brian J. Moline, 1966; and Martha S. Yerkes-Robinson, 1940 during the annual Washburn University School of Law Alumni Association Award Recognition Luncheon held at the Kansas Bar Association meeting on June 9, 2011 in Topeka, Kansas. Alumni Association President Winton Hinkle, 1968, presented the awards. The Lifetime Achievement Award is bestowed on graduates whose careers have been highly distinguished, and whose achievements and contributions are widely recognized as significant and outstanding in their field of endeavor.

David E. Bruns, Class of 1984, was appointed by Governor Sam Brownback to the Kansas Court of Appeals on Friday, April 14, 2011. Brownback described Bruns as "an accomplished jurist" who will "serve with honor and distinction." Bruns' appointment fills the vacancy created by the appointment of Nancy L. Moritz, Class of 1985, to the Kansas Supreme Court in November 2010. After his graduation from Washburn Law Bruns joined the Topeka law firm of Goodell, Stratton, Edmonds & Palmer, LLP. Bruns was named partner in 1989 and practiced with the firm until 1999 when he was appointed as a Kansas District Court Judge for the Third Judicial District. His professional associations include the Kansas District Court Judges Association, the Kansas, Topeka, and American bar associations, and the Honorable Sam A. Crow American Inn of Court. He is founder of the Topeka-Shawnee County Youth Court in 1983 and currently chairs the Court's Adult Advisory Committee. In 2004 Bruns received the Americanism Award from the American Legion-Department of Kansas for his work on Youth Court. Bruns has been an adjunct professor at Washburn Law since 1997, teaching courses such as Complex Litigation and Practice, Pretrial Advocacy, and Trial Techniques. Judge Bruns and his work with the Youth Court was profiled in a May 8, 2011 Topeka Capital-Journal article.

Washburn Law alumna Nancy Moritz Caplinger, '85, Topeka, was appointed by Kansas Governor Mark Parkinson as a justice on the Kansas Supreme Court. "I am humbled and honored to receive this appointment from Governor Parkinson and join the six other distinguished justices on the Kansas Supreme Court," said Caplinger. With Caplinger's selection, Washburn Law graduates comprise five of the seven Kansas Supreme Court justice appointments.

Lynn R. Johnson, '70, was honored as the Washburn University Alumni Fellow from the law school on October 22, 2010. He is principal shareholder and president, Shamberg, Johnson & Bergman Chtd., Kansas City, Missouri. His practice specializes in representing plaintiffs' significant and complicated personal injury and wrongful death claims. Johnson is a life member of the Washburn Law School Alumni Association and was honored with the Washburn Law Distinguished Service Award in 2001. The Alumni Fellows Program is sponsored by the Washburn University Alumni Association and the University Deans. Nominees must be graduates of Washburn University and have achieved notable success in their chosen field. Johnson was recognized on October 22, 2010 at a luncheon on the Washburn campus.

On September 9, 2010, Paul R. Hoferer ’75, gave a Lunch and Learn presentation on "Preparing for Business Practice: Classes, Clients and Conflicts." Mr. Hoferer outlined three strategies that students preparing for business practice might want to keep in mind. First, he urged the students to know their clients. If there is an indemnity provision in a contract, he suggested, understand how that shifts liability and whether the client has any control of the premises in question. Knowing his or her client helps an attorney suggest alternatives (e.g. insurance) and provide better representation.

Kay Kimball, '95, was the February 24, 2010, Lunch & Learn Speaker for the Children and Family Law Center. Kimball talked about what she does as a family law attorney and more generally what it means to be an attorney. Attorneys perform many different roles for their clients, they advise, they are a counselor for their client, they are the peacemaker that looks for settlement options, they are a business person, they are a foe to opposing counsel, and they do what they can to help.

Robert Eye, '80, presented "Environmental Advocacy" as the February 23 Lunch and Learn speaker for the Center for Excellence in Advocacy. Mr. Eye explained the difference between Environmental Advocacy and Environmental Law. He also discussed the major challenges facing environmental lawyers in the future as well as the means by which to advocate for a client -- lobbying, litigation, and grass roots awareness.

D. Duke Dupre will receive an honorary Doctor of Law during the Washburn University School of Law commencement exercises on Saturday, May 15, 2010. Dupre received a bachelor of arts degree in accounting from Kansas State University in 1967 and served three years in the U.S. Army, with duty in Vietnam. In 1973, he earned a juris doctor from the Washburn University School of Law and worked as law clerk to Kansas Supreme Court Chief Justice Harold Fatzer.

Washburn University School of Law placed 223 alumni in Law & Politics' 2010 Super Lawyers U.S. Law School Rankings. This new ranking system focuses on the end product - the quality of lawyers produced. It is unique in that Law & Politics ranks law schools based on the number of graduates who are selected for inclusion in the state and regional editions of Super Lawyers. No more than 5 percent of the lawyers in each state are selected to Super Lawyers lists.

Prince Adebayo Ogunmeno, '90, has recently published Silence is Power: A Lawyer's Step-by-Step Guide to Handling Police Interrogations and Protecting Your Freedom (iUniverse, 2009). In his book, Ogunmeno provides an understanding of the law for all American citizens interested in asserting their basic constitutional rights when detained by law enforcement officers (LEOs). Successfully handling an encounter with all types of LEOs involves respect, compliance with lawful directives, and silence. Ogunmeno was also highlighted in the December 2, 2009 Kansas City Star in the article "Kansas City, Kan., lawyer is a man who could be king - in Nigeria" and in a January 4, 2010 KCUR interview (Kansas City public radio). His book was also highlighted in the December 17, 2009 KCTribune.

Bradley E. Ambrosier, '90, was appointed by Governor Mark Parkinson as a district judge of the 26h Judicial District of Kansas on November 18, 2009. Ambrosier has been a partner in the Elkhart firm of Graybill, Witcher and Ambrosier since 1998. He as been actively involved in domestic, personal injury and business litigation over the course of his career. Previously, Ambrosier practiced in Liberal, Kansas. He has appeared in every court in the 26th District. Ambrosier was appointed to the Attorney General's Task Force on DUIs and has served as an investigator for the Southwest Kansas Bar Professional Responsibility Panel, a municipal judge in Keyes, Oklahoma, and a special administrative law judge. He belongs to the Kansas and Oklahoma Bar Associations and has the Security and Exchange Commission Series 7 license.

Marjorie McColl Petty, '90, was appointed as Regional Director of Region VI of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services by HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius on November 17, 2009. Region VI encompasses Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. Petty has served as director of public affairs and consumer protection for the Kansas Corporation Commission since 2003. She has served on the board of directors of Delta Dental of Kansas since 2001 and has been chair since August 2008. Petty has also served as president of the board of directors of the Delta Dental Foundation and as a subcontractor for two regional offices of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as a public policy manager. She has also been a State Senator in Kansas and a member of the Topeka, Kansas City Council.

On November 12, 2009, Efrain Soto, '04, Senior Tax Advisor at SFX Baseball Group in Chicago, visited Washburn University School of Law as the Business and Transactional Law Center Distinguished Practitioner in Residence. Mr. Soto gave a lunchtime presentation entitled, "A Successful Profession: Transitioning from Law School to a Legal Career." In his presentation, Mr. Soto described his practice and the substantive issues on which he advises clients. One topic he discussed was the potential for conflicts of interest when working with professional athletes. For example, he described situations in which a player's parents want something different from what is in the player's best interest. Mr. Soto reminded students that the player is the client, and that therefore his interests are always paramount.

Governor Mark Parkinson named William (Bill) Thornton, '92, as Acting Secretary of the Department of Commerce. A former Chairman of the Kansas Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Thornton currently serves on its Board of Directors. Thornton has previously served in leadership roles at MGP Ingredients, Hallmark Cards and as an attorney with Duncan-Senecal Law Offices in Atchison.

Retired Col. Charles R. Rayl, '75, was inducted into the Kansas National Guard Hall of Fame on November 8, 2009 during a ceremony in Topeka, Kansas. Rayl enlisted in the U.S. Army in January 1964 and was commissioned on March 1, 1965. Rayl completed Armor Officer Basic Course in 1965, as well as Airborne Training. He became an Army aviator in 1967 and was assigned to Troop A, 7th Squadron, 14th Air Cavalry in the Republic of Vietnam in 1968. He held various command positions in Armored Cavalry Regiments from November 1968 until May of 1970 in Germany. In September 1970, he was commissioned in the Kansas National Guard, serving in the 137th Aviation Company and the Headquarters, State Area Command, Kansas Army National Guard. He remained in the Guard until his retirement in 1994. Rayl is the recipient of the Purple Heart and the Legion of Merit along with numerous other military medals, ribbons and badges. He is currently attorney at law for Rayl and Jones, LLC, of Cottonwood Falls, Kansas. Rayl considers getting the name of Sgt. Henry Jackson, Troop A, 7th Squadron, 17th Air Cavalry added to the Vietnam Memorial Wall on Memorial Day in 1999 his most personal special achievement. Washburn Law Dean Thomas Romig, commenting on Rayl's inducution, said "Charlie is a great American and richly deserves this honor."

Washburn Law alumnus Linda Parks, '83, is profiled in the November 2009 issue of Missouri and Kansas Super Lawyers. Parks is the managing partner at Hite, Fanning & Honeyman and spends 40 to 50 percent of her time on bankruptcy work, including a recent case involving discovery of hidden assets. She has wanted to be a lawyer since watching Perry Mason shows as a child. After finishing her law degree at Washburn, she became the only woman at a previous incarnation of the firm where she works now, and four and a half years later, she became the firm's first female partner and was the only woman partner for 11 years. Parks has also spent a substantial amount of time working to improve the profession as a whole. In 1994, she founded the Kansas Women Attorneys Association and believes this organization played a big role in electing the first woman in Kansas to chair the commission that chooses the state's appellate judges. She also served as president of the Kansas Bar Association in 2007-2008. Her current focus is to help women gain equal ranks among her county's judges. More than 170 Washburn Law graduates are listed as Super Lawyers.

Paul Hoferer, '75, is the School of Law Alumni Fellow. He joined the Topeka office of Lathrop & Gage, L.C. after retiring in 2008 as vice president and general counsel for Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) Railway Company, Fort Worth, Texas. In addition to supervising in-house counsel and the general claims department, he was responsible for nearly 3,000 lawsuits handled by over 100 law firms throughout the United States and Canada. Hoferer currently is vice president of the Washburn University School of Law Alumni Association Board of Governors and chair of the nominating committee. He and his wife, Jeanne, established a law scholarship which is matched by funds from BNSF Foundation. John Wood, '78, is the School of Business Alumni Fellow. He is a partner in the law firm of Thompson & Knight LLP, where he leads the New York City commercial real estate legal group. He is a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation, author of treatises and books on commercial leasing, and serves the Practicing Law Institute as a member of the board of legal advisers and chairman of the commercial leasing program. The Alumni Fellows Program is sponsored by the Washburn University Alumni Association and the University Deans. Nominees must be graduates of Washburn University and have achieved notable success in their chosen field. Hoferer and Wood will be recognized on October 16, 2009 at a luncheon on the Washburn campus.

Scott Logan, '80, presented "Demonstrative Aids – Cutting Edge v. Tried and True Displays" on October 13. His talk was on the effective use of demonstrative exhibits, emphasizing that both high-tech and traditional formats can be extremely effective at trial. He used exhibits from his trial practice to demonstrate the strengths and weaknesses of both "static" and electronic exhibits. His examples were drawn from testimony in medical malpractice litigation.

Craig Shultz, Esq., '78, of Shultz Law Office in Wichita, Kan., was recently inducted into the International Academy of Trial Lawyers (IATL). The IATL limits membership to 500 Fellows from the United States. The Academy seeks out, identifies, acknowledges and honors thoses who have achieved a career of excellence through demonstrated skill and ability in jury trials, trials before the courts, and appellate practice. Mr. Shultz has been evaluated by his colleagues and the judges in his jurisdiction and has been highly recommended by them as possessing these qualifications and characteristics.

Washburn University School of Law faculty members and alumni received awards at the Kansas Bar Association Installation and Awards Dinner held during the KBA Annual Meeting and Joint Judicial Conference on June 19. Awards were presented to Associate Professor Lynette Petty, '87, Karl G. Johnson, '77, and Paula D. Langworthy, '06 (Pro Bono Certificates of Appreciation); Angel Zimmerman, '06 (Outstanding Young Lawyer Award); Bill Ossmann, '77 (Distinguished Government Service Award); Jim Milliken, '69 (Professionalism Award); Judge Thomas Kelly Ryan, '85, and Brian M. Vazquez, '79 (Outstanding Service Awards); Chief Justice Kay McFarland, ret., '64 (Phil Lewis Medal of Distinction); Tom Wright, '64 (recognized for years of service as the Kansas Bar Association President); and Dean Thomas J. Romig (Courageous Attorney Award).

Washburn University School of Law Alumni Association President Stephen Cavanaugh, '80, presented awards to deserving alumni and non-alumni at the Award Recognition Luncheon on June 18. The recipients of these prestigious awards have brought recognition to Washburn University School of Law through their service to their profession, community and to Washburn Law.

Washburn University School of Law held its Center for Excellence in Advocacy Annual Awards Ceremony on Monday, April 6, 2009, at the Bradbury Thompson Center. Paul R. Hoferer, a 1975 graduate of Washburn University School of Law and a Retired Vice President and General Counsel for BNSF Railway Company, gave the keynote address. Hoferer provided a few tips to the law students, and he said the most important things when trying a case are credibility with the jury, being logical, and making sense to the jury.

Senator Robert J. “Bob” Dole has dedicated his life and career to the service of both law and government. This enduring passion recently inspired Dole to establish the Senator Robert J. Dole Law Professorship Fund in the Washburn School of Law's Center for Law and Government. The gift will provide funds to help recruit and retain an outstanding faculty member to serve as director of the recently established Center for Law and Government. The $300,000 gift also qualifies for Kansas Partnership of Distinction fund, a legislative effort to ensure and promote high-quality educators in university classrooms.

The Honorable William Daniel "Dan" Biles, '78, was sworn in as the newest member of the Kansas Supreme Court on March 6. Biles fills the position left by Chief Justice Kay McFarland's retirement. Justice Robert Davis will serve as the new Chief Justice. Biles had been a partner with the Overland Park, Kansas firm Gates, Biles & Shields, P.A. since 1985.

Maj. Robert Shuck, class of 1998, was highlighted in the February 28, 2009 Minot (North Dakota) Daily News. Shuck has served two tours in Iraq, the most recent beginning in July 2008. At the beginning of his first tour in 2004 Shuck was assigned to defend Staff Sgt. Ivan L. "Chip" Frederick II, one of the soldiers charged in the Abu Ghraib abuse case. Shuck observes that when he was in Baghdad in 2004 he "was hearing explosions which were almost a daily occurrence." He now notes that "since July I have not heard one explosion." In addition, the job of the military now is partnering more and more, and overseeing the Iraqis doing their job. "Before it was us doing the job. My job now is to work with the Iraqi army, police and judges and get them together and get myself out of a job," he said.

Delano Lewis was recognized by the Native Sons and Daughters of Kansas as the 2008 Kansan of the Year at their annual banquet on January 30, 2009. Lewis is the former Ambassador to South Africa, former President/CEO of National Public Radio, former CEO of Bell Atlantic (now Verizon), and currently the Senior Fellow at the International Relations Institute at New Mexico State University. He is a 1963 graduate of Washburn University School of Law.

Washburn University School of Law alumnus Richard Hite, Wichita, Kansas, was honored as a Washburn University Alumni Fellow on October 10, 2008. Sponsored by the Washburn University deans and the Alumni Association, the Alumni Fellows program recognizes alumni who have distinguished themselves in their career fields. Richard Hite, who received his juris doctor degree from Washburn Law in 1953, is a partner in the law firm of Hite, Fanning & Honeyman LLP. He specializes in business, commercial and oil and gas litigation and serves as counsel in arbitration and mediation and as an arbitrator and mediator.

Washburn University School of Law hosted its third biennial United States Supreme Court admissions ceremony in Washington, D.C. on April 28, 2008. Twenty-nine Washburn Law alumni and two professors were admitted to the bar of the United States Supreme Court in a swearing-in ceremony. The alumni represented 11 states, with graduation years from 1956-2004. The two professors were Myrl Duncan, professor of law; and William Merkel, associate professor of law.

Kathy Kirk recently returned from a three-month stay in Jordan, where she trained judges, lawyers and other professionals in civil mediation. As part of the American Bar Association's Rule of Law Initiative, Kirk helped set up mediation departments in four of five courthouses in Amman. Although alternative dispute resolution, or ADR, is relatively new in Jordan, most legal professionals caught on to mediation in part because the country has an historical tradition of tribal dispute resolution.

William R. Mott has been named District Court Judge of Kansas' Thirtieth Judicial District. Upon graduating from Washburn Law in 1995 Mott became an associate at Cobean and Renn. He assumed the position of Sumner County Attorney in 1997. In this position he prosecuted child in need of care, criminal, traffic and juvenile offender cases. Prior to his appointment as district judge, Mott served as Special Assistant United States Attorney and Special Assistant Kansas Attorney General and prosecuted federal drug trafficking crimes and federal firearms violations. Mott fills the seat vacated by retiring Judge Thomas H. Graber.

Overland Park lawyer Charles Droege will become Johnson County’s newest district court judge after being appointed by Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius. “Chuck Droege has a broad range of knowledge from his work as a prosecutor, an attorney in private practice and from his service as a municipal court judge,” Sebelius said in a statement. Droege, 53, is a municipal court judge in De Soto and Edgerton and a part-time administrative hearing officer for the Kansas Department of Revenue. He was city prosecutor in De Soto from 1996 to 2001 and an assistant district attorney for Shawnee County in the mid-1980s. He replaces Judge Steve Leben, who in April was appointed to the Court of Appeals. Within the month, the governor is expected to make another judicial appointment for Johnson County, filling a slot approved by the Legislature this year. Droege graduated from Wichita State University in 1978 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and later earned a master’s degree. In 1983, he graduated from Washburn University School of Law. Johnson County now has 19 district judges. Droege’s civil court docket will consist largely of divorce cases without children, accidents, contract disputes and condemnations.

By ROBERT A. CRONKLETON The Kansas City Star Kansas City, Kan., attorney Daniel Cahill has already had a momentous week — and it is only Tuesday. On Monday, his wife, Tina, gave birth to their third child. Today, he was sworn in as a Wyandotte County judge, a lifelong dream of his. “I don’t in any way want to denigrate today and this occasion,” Cahill told a packed courtroom. “But you know you are having a good week when this day is the second best one you have had this week.” Cahill, 40, said that as a child, he always talked about being a judge. When he went to law school, he talked about being a judge. Even as a district attorney, he still talked about that goal. “It is an incredible honor,” Cahill said. Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius in late June appointed Cahill to serve the remaining term of District Judge David Mikesic, who retired in May. The term expires in December 2008. Cahill, who earned a degree in criminal justice from Washburn University in 1990 and a law degree from Washburn School of Law in 1995, was a lawyer in private practice before being appointed to the bench. He served as an assistant district attorney in Wyandotte County from 1996 to 2000. Wyandotte County Judge Thomas L. Boeding led Cahill through the oath of office. “It’s traditional that the spouse puts the robe on the judge for the first time. Tina can’t be here for a very good reason. So I have agreed to do it — but I’m not going to kiss you,” Boeding told Cahill before helping him into the black robe. The Rev. Steve Beseau, with the St. Lawrence Catholic Campus Center at the University of Kansas, had some parting advice for Cahill on his week. “Monday, you had a baby. Tuesday, you are installed as a judge,” Beseau said. “I would say tomorrow (Wednesday) you need to play the lottery.”

Wichita attorney T. Lynn Ward has been named a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML). Membership in the AAML requires at least 10 years experience in family law as well as testing, peer review, review by judges, and recognition as a first-rate matrimonial lawyer. Ward has practiced family law since 1990 in the Wichita area. After several years with Morris Laing Evans Brock & Kennedy, she opened her own practice, Ward Law Offices at 345 Riverview, Ste. 120, in 2005. She handles divorce, paternity, child custody and support, parenting time, legal separation, annulment and adoption matters. She has argued appeals of domestic cases before the Kansas Court of Appeals and the Kansas Supreme Court. After earning a pre-law degree with honors from Pensacola Christian College in 1987, she completed her juris doctorate at Washburn University School of Law in 1990. She is certified as a domestic mediator, and was one of the first Kansas attorneys trained to handle divorce cases using a collaborative law format. She is a founding member and former president of the Central Kansas Collaborative Family Law Practice Group. Founded in 1962, the AAML is committed to encouraging the study, improving the practice, elevating the standards, and advancing the cause of matrimonial law, to better protect the welfare of American families. AAML fellows include experts in divorce, legal separation and annulment, prenuptial and postnuptial agreements, child custody and visitation, property valuation and distribution, alimony, and child support and separation agreements.

The Northwest Area Foundation today seated three new representatives to its 13-member board of directors. Natalie Camacho Mendoza of Boise, Idaho; Sally Pederson of Des Moines, Iowa; and Sarah Vogel of Bismarck, North Dakota have been appointed to three-year terms. Natalie Camacho Mendoza is an attorney in Boise, Idaho, who is licensed in Idaho and Texas. She practices in the areas of worker’s compensation, immigration law and American Indian law. Having grown up in poverty, Camacho Mendoza rose to manage her own private practice law firm. She has been active in Image de Idaho, a non-profit organization concerned with civil rights, employment and education of Idaho Hispanics, for which she served as president; the Idaho Commission on Hispanic Affairs; Hispanic Cultural Center of Idaho; and the mission committee for St. Alphonsus Regional Medical Center. Camacho Mendoza has a bachelor’s degree in political science from Idaho State University and a law degree from Washburn University School of Law. Sally Pederson served as Iowa’s lieutenant governor from 1998-2006, during which time she advocated for people with disabilities, health care coverage for children and insurance coverage for mental health issues. In 2003, Pederson received the John F. Sanford Award from the Iowa Medical Society for her efforts in improving the quality of health care in Iowa. As lieutenant governor, Pederson initiated and chaired the Iowa Committee on Diversity. She served as state Democratic Party leader until November 2006. Pederson holds a bachelor’s degree from Iowa State University. Sarah Vogel is an attorney in Bismarck, North Dakota with the Sarah Vogel Law Firm, P.C. A native of North Dakota, she served as North Dakota Commissioner of Agriculture from 1989-1996, where she was co-founder of Marketplace of Ideas, the nation’s largest rural development conference. Vogel also was Assistant Attorney General of North Dakota. While she has been in private practice in North Dakota, she has been lead counsel in a number of significant agriculture cases, such as the national class action lawsuit against the Farmers Home Administration, which enjoined many thousands of farm foreclosures until the federal government provided farmers with their due process rights, a case requiring the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation to honor crop insurance policies worth $42,000,000 benefiting 8000 durum wheat farmers; litigation protecting farmers involved in elevator insolvencies, and many others. In 2006, Vogel won the Distinguished Service Award from the American Agricultural Law Association. Vogel holds a law degree from New York University. Fellow board members include Daniel Kemmis, Montana; Dorothy Bridges, Minnesota; Father Kevin McDonough, Minnesota: Louis Fors Hill, Minnesota; Elouise Cobell, Montana; Patricia Jensen, Minnesota; Sandra Vargas, Minnesota; Elsie Meeks, South Dakota; and William Thorndike, Jr., Oregon. The five members of the Foundation’s trustees are: Terrence W. Glarner; Linda L. Hoeschler; Dr. Thomas J. Horak; Rodney W. Jordan; and Nicholas P. Slade. The Northwest Area Foundation is dedicated to helping communities reduce poverty for the long term. The Foundation works on strategic efforts with a small number of rural, urban, and American Indian reservation communities, and the organizations supporting these efforts, in its eight-state region: Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Oregon and Washington. These states were served by the Great Northern Railway, founded by James J. Hill. In 1934, Hill’s son, Louis W. Hill established the foundation. Since 1999, the Foundation has invested approximately $193 million in community-based poverty-reduction programs. It expects to invest an estimated additional $75 million within the next two years, at which time it will have completed its first 10 years of operation under a community-based program model. The Foundation does not accept unsolicited grant requests. For additional information, visit www.nwaf.org, or call 651-224-9635.

1983 Washburn Law graduate has served on the KBA board of governors since 1999.

The Honorable Christel E. Marquardt, Judge of the Court of Appeals, has been named to the Washburn University Board of Regents by Gov. Kathleen Sebelius. A 1974 graduate of the Washburn University School of Law, Marquardt was with the Topeka firms of Cosgrove, Webb & Oman (1974-86) and Palmer, Marquardt & Snyder (1986-91) before joining Levy & Craig, P.C., Kansas City, Mo. (1991-94). In 1994, she and her son Andrew formed Marquardt & Associates, L.L.C. in Fairway, Kan., where she practiced until her appointment to the court in 1995. In 2002, Washburn University School of Law awarded Marquardt the Distinguished Service Award. Her honors include the Jennie Mitchell Kellogg Circle’s Attorney of Achievement Award, and the Phil Lewis Medal of Distinction and the President’s Outstanding Service Award from the Kansas Bar Association. Marquardt served as the first woman president of the Kansas Bar Association in 1987-88. She has been a member of numerous committees of the American Bar Association, has been a member of its House of Delegates since 1988 and is currently serving on its Board of Governors. She is a past president of the Washburn University School of Law Board of Governors. Community engagement includes a seat on the Topeka Symphony Board of Governors. In 1982, she was selected as Topeka’s Woman of the Year and was named one of the 10 top business women in the nation by the American Business Women’s Association in 1985. Marquardt received an undergraduate degree from Missouri Western State College, St. Joseph, Mo., and was designated a distinguished alumni by the school in 1985. Her term on the Washburn Board of Regents will expire June 2011.

Thomas Merkel, Washburn Law class of 1988, recently was appointed director of the Hennepin County Community Corrections Department. Merkel, who has a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice in addition to his law degree, had been an inspector with the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office since 2001. Prior to that, he was deputy director of the Shawnee County, Kansas, Department of Corrections. With a budget exceeding $100 million and more than 1,000 employees, Corrections oversees Hennepin County’s Workhouse, Juvenile Detention, County Home School, and Adult and Juvenile Probation. Hennepin County is the largest of Minnesota’s 87 counties in population with more than 1.1 million residents – nearly one-fourth the population of Minnesota and almost half the metropolitan population. The county includes the city of Minneapolis.

Governor Kathleen Sebelius appointed William R. Thornton, Washburn Law class of '92, to the Kansas Board of Regents.

Richard C. Hite, managing partner, Hite, Fanning & Honeyman LLP, Wichita, Kan., received the Distinguished Alumni Award at the Washburn Law School Association’s annual awards luncheon Friday, June 8, 2007. Hite received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Kansas in 1950. He earned his law degree from Washburn University School of Law in 1953. Hite has been active in the law school, the Kansas Bar Association, the Wichita Bar Association and numerous other organizations. He has served as a Washburn Endowment Association trustee since 1986 and on the Washburn Law School Association board of governors in various capacities including president.

Bernard “Bernie” Bianchino, president and chief executive officer of Jaguar Telecom LLC, Overland Park, Kan., received the Distinguished Service Award at Washburn Law School Association’s annual awards luncheon Friday, June 8, 2007. Bianchino received the award for his outstanding and exemplary service to the law school and to Washburn University. Before joining Jaguar Telecom LLC, Bianchino was chief executive officer of Pegaso PCS and a former chief business development officer of Sprint PCS. He earned two degrees from Washburn, a bachelor of arts in 1970 and a juris doctorate in 1974. He serves at Washburn as an Endowment Association trustee and is president of the Law School Association Board of Governors.

Loring Ward International Ltd. announced that, effective July 1, 2007, Steven K. McGinnis will assume the role of general counsel and corporate secretary for Loring Ward International Ltd. and its subsidiaries, while retaining his current position as chief regulatory and compliance officer for the company. McGinnis joined Loring Ward in January 2005 and has 37 years of industry experience, including seven years at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, 12 years as general counsel and corporate secretary of public and private companies, and two years as chief executive officer of an investment company. McGinnis has served the financial services industry for many years on NASD committees including chairman of the National Advisory Council and the District 2 Business Conduct Committee, as well as board director and past president of the National Association of Independent Broker Dealers. He earned his juris doctor from Washburn University School of Law and a bachelor's degree in psychology from Washburn University.

Washburn University School of Law alumnus, supporter, to be honored at 2 p.m. Friday, May 25, 2007.

Governor Kathleen Sebelius has nominated Thomas Wright, pending Senate confirmation, to the Kansas Corporation Commission. He would replace Brian Moline who is retiring. “In addition to his legal experience, Tom is committed to the goal of making Kansas a leader in energy security and independence, taking advantage of our vast opportunities with alternative energy sources and encouraging widespread conservation efforts throughout the state. Tom has served on several public boards and commissions, and has the leadership abilities needed to move this state in an exciting new direction.” The KCC regulates the energy, transportation and telecommunications industries within Kansas, including public utilities, common carriers, motor carriers and oil and gas producers. It does not regulate most electric cooperatives, water cooperatives, municipalities, wireless telephones, long distance phone services, cable companies or the Internet. The three-member commission is appointed by the governor with the approval of the Senate. Commissioners serve staggered four-year terms and elect one of their colleagues as chairperson. The chairperson acts as agency head with input from the other members. Wright, Topeka, grew up in Harper, Kan., before going on to graduate from the University of Wichita (now Wichita State University) with a degree in mathematics in 1961. He graduated from Washburn University School of Law in 1964. Wright is a partner at Wright, Henson, Clark, Hutton, Mudrick & Gragson, LLP. He served on the Washburn University Board of Regents, including a term as the board's chair. He also served on the Kansas Supreme Court Nominating Commission, the Governor’s Gaming Commission and as chair of the Topeka-Shawnee County Consolidation Commission.

Kansas Lottery Director Ed Van Petten, '79, prepares his agency to own and operate the new destination casinos and racetrack slots that the Kansas Legislature has placed under its control.

Brian Moline, chairman of the Kansas Corporation Commission, will retire from the commission June 15. Moline has worked for the commission more than 20 years, first as its general counsel and then as a commissioner. He has spent the past four years as chairman of the commission, which regulates the rates and services of public utility providers in Kansas. "Brian has been a strong voice for fairness and balance in an evolving marketplace," Gov. Kathleen Sebelius said in a release. Moline is a graduate of Washburn University School of Law where he teaches as an adjunct professor.

Eugene Ralston and The Honorable Gregory Waller were elected to the Washburn Endowment Association Board of Trustees. Ralston earned a bachelor’s degree at Wichita State University and a juris doctor degree from Washburn University School of Law. He is a partner in the Topeka law firm of Ralston, Pope & Diehl, L.L.C. He opened a branch of the law firm in Hays, Kan., in 1992, and employs three attorneys in an Oklahoma office. Ralston practices law in the areas of medical malpractice, products liability, professional negligence, personal injury, and general trial work. Judge Waller earned bachelor's degrees in history and political science at Washburn University and a juris doctor degree from Washburn University School of Law. He worked as an associate at G. Edmond Hayes, Chartered, and subsequently became a partner in the firm of Hayes and Waller. In 1975, he joined the district attorney's office of Sedgwick County, Kan. He prosecuted in that office for 18 years. Waller is the presiding judge of the criminal department of the Sedgwick County District Court, the largest district in Kansas.

Judge Daniel Mitchell, Topeka, was presented with the Kansas Children's Service League's Distinguished Service to Kansas Children award at its annual meeting April 20. The award is presented annually to the "best of the best" among crusaders for Kansas children and families. Judge Mitchell was honored for his more than 20 years of service on the Shawnee County Juvenile Court bench where he hears the majority of child in need of care cases. Judge Mitchell earned his law degree from Washburn Law in 1973.

Retired Supreme Court Justice and former Legislator Harold. S. Herd died Monday, April 23 at age 88. His funeral service is scheduled for 2 p.m. Monday, April 30 at Coldwater Presbyterian Church, Coldwater, Kan.

Washburn Law Alumnus Jerry Schemmel discusses, in the Rocky Mountain News, his broadcasting career and value of sports in our society.

Winton Hinkle and his partners pitched the merits of business law to a group of Washburn Law students.

Washburn Law alumna Jennifer Chun has been named director of international investment properties for Coldwell Banker Commercial Trademark Properties.

Citing his extensive trial experience as both a prosecutor and defense attorney, Governor Kathleen Sebelius appointed Eric William Godderz to serve as district judge in the Fourth Judicial District, which covers Anderson, Coffey, Franklin and Osage counties. “Eric’s experience on both sides of the courtroom has prepared him to serve from another vantage point, the judge’s bench,” Sebelius said. “The people of the Fourth Judicial District will be well served by his knowledge of the judicial system and his commitment to objectivity and fairness.” Godderz earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Kansas and received his Juris Doctorate from Washburn University School of Law in 1989. Godderz began his law career as assistant Saline County attorney in 1989, and subsequently served as a state public defender, Osage County attorney, and has been in partnership with his father at the Godderz Law Firm for more than a decade. Having tried more than 75 jury trials, Godderz also has experience in a number of areas of the law, both civil and criminal. Godderz is a member of the Kansas Bar Association, Kansas County and District Attorneys Association, Kansas Trial Lawyers Association, and president of the Osage County Bar Association. Godderz is president of the Burlingame Rotary Club, serves on the Burlingame Civic Improvement Committee and is a member of the Burlingame Chamber of Commerce.

Washburn Law alumna Chris Wilson was named vice president for communications for American Agri-Women, the nation's largest coalition of farm, ranch, and agribusiness women.

President Bush named former Senator Bob Dole to serve on the President's Commission on Care for America's Returning Wounded Warriors. President Bush signed an executive order creating a bipartisan presidential commission to conduct a comprehensive review of the services America is providing to its returning wounded warriors. Dole will serve as co-chair of the commission with former U.S. Department of Health And Human Services Secretary Donna Shalala. Senator Bob Dole was elected to Congress from his home state of Kansas in 1960 and to the U.S. Senate in 1968. He resigned from the Senate in 1996. His personal history of service includes active duty in World War II, during which he was gravely wounded and received for heroic achievement two Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star with Oak Leaf Cluster. He is a 1952 graduate of Washburn University School of Law.

Washburn Law alumnus John T. Bird was awarded the John D. Montgomery Distinguished Service Award.

Jerry Schemmel, the radio broadcaster for the NBA's Denver Nuggets for the past 14 years and a 1985 graduate of Washburn Law, has been hired as the Billings Mustangs' play-by-play radio broadcaster for the 2007 Pioneer League baseball season.

Former Sen. Bob Dole expressed gratitude, humor and passion Tuesday night as special guest speaker at the Kansas Chamber's annual dinner at the Kansas Expocentre.

Tom Luedke one of only 12 prosecutors chosen to aid Iraqi prosecutors trying Saddam before the Iraqi Higher Tribunal.

Gov. Kathleen Sebelius said she was drawn to the broad legal expertise Johnson obtained during 21 years in private practice.

Washburn Law alumnus Larry Hendricks was appointed by Governor Kathleen Sebelius to replace retiring Shawee County District Court Judge Terry Bullock.

TOPEKA, Kan. -- Governor Kathleen Sebelius has appointed Jeffry Larson as district court judge in the 5th Judicial District, which includes Lyon and Chase counties. "Jeff Larson has a range of experience in private practice including domestic and family law, criminal defense, adoption, and general civil practice as well as serving as an assistant county attorney. His broad experience will help him deal with the array of cases district court judges handle," Governor Sebelius said. Larson, 45, of Emporia, has been practicing law since 1987. He received his law degree from Washburn University School of Law in 1986 and his undergraduate degree from Emporia State University in 1984. He and his wife, Amy, have two daughters, Hilary and Abby. Larson replaces retiring Judge John Sanderson.

U.S. Air Force Capt. Lori M. Gill, Washburn Law class of '99, is serving in Baghdad, Iraq, having been deployed in October. As one of the attorneys assigned to the Joint Contracting Command Iraq/Afghanistan (JCC-I/A), she provides legal advice on matters of contract and fiscal law for actions more than $1 million each. Capt. Gill has been an attorney with the Air Force for more than five years and is stationed at Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas. She is a graduate of Washburn University and Washburn University School of Law.

Alumnus Bill Anderson begins second career.

Washburn Law alumnus Bill Kurtis, who founded Kurtis Productions and began producing programs for the A&E Television Network, was recently interviewed.

Lewis, a Wasburn Law alumnus and former U.S. Ambassador to South Africa, is currently a senior fellow at New Mexico State University, where he has been charged with a leadership role in developing an Institute for International Relations and strengthening the university's public broadcasting.

Washburn Law Alumnus and Bronze Star recipient Charles Hamm reflects on his role in World War II

Jared E. Smith recently joined the Tampa office of Rumberger, Kirk & Caldwell, P.A. as an associate in the practice areas of liability, premises liability, casualty defense and commercial litigation. Smith graduated magna cum laude from Washburn Law in 2000 and has since worked for Justice Edward J. Larson of the Kansas Supreme Court, as well as the Judge Advocate General's Corps with the United States Air Force.

Chicago lawyer Taher Kameli, a graduate of Washburn Law, travels across the country practicing what he calls immigration criminal defense.

Governor Kathleen Sebelius has appointed Kansas City, Kan., attorney Kathleen Lynch to fill the unexpired term of the late Wyandotte County District Court Judge Cordell Meeks Jr. Lynch received her law degree in 1992 from Washburn University School of Law.

A well-known Wichita attorney who has been involved in high-profile cases, Jack Focht has a reputation for being a champion of causes that help the poor and the homeless.

Delano Lewis, president/CEO of National Public Radio from 1994 to 1998 and U.S. ambassador to South Africa at the end of the Clinton administration, has been named senior fellow at New Mexico State University. As a senior fellow, Lewis will spearhead the development of an international relations "think tank" at NMSU and use his NPR experience to serve as an adviser to the university's public broadcasting program, the Sun-News reported.