Gwynne E. Birzer, '92, to be Honored as Alumni Fellow

Gwynne E. Birzer, '89, jd '92, Wichita, will be honored as the Washburn University School of Law 2021 Alumni Fellow.

The Alumni Fellows program recognizes alumni who have distinguished themselves in their careers. Fellows are invited to campus to interact with students and faculty in the classroom and other academic settings.

The Honorable Gwynne E. Birzer, the sixth United States Magistrate Judge sitting in Wichita, Kansas, was appointed to the bench on July 1, 2015. Judge Birzer holds an Associate's Degree from Kansas City, Kansas Community College and two degrees from Washburn University, a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice received in 1989 and a law degree received in 1992.

Following law school, Judge Birzer practiced law in the public sector in Topeka, Kansas, as an assistant public defender, an assistant district attorney, and as an assistant attorney general. She practiced in the private sector in her own firm.

In 2004, Judge Birzer relocated to Wichita, Kansas where she worked at the Sedgwick County Public Defender's Office. In 2006, she joined Hite, Fanning & Honeyman, LLP where she specialized in medical malpractice defense litigation.

Judge Birzer has served on the Board of Governors for the Kansas Bar Association and currently serves on the Board of Governors for the Wichita Bar Association as well as the Wesley E. Brown Inn of Court. She has also served those organizations on various committees. In 2011, Judge Birzer became a partner in the firm and served in that capacity until her judicial appointment.

In addition to her judicial responsibilities, Judge Birzer serves her community on various boards and civic organizations, including Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, a public service sorority; Music Theater of Wichita; and StepStone/Dear Neighbor. She is a member of the American Bar Association and a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation.

Each spring, faculty and staff submit nominations for fellows to their respective dean, who selects one for the college or school. A fellow is selected from the School of Applied Studies, School of Business, School of Law, School of Nursing and Washburn Institute of Technology. Because of its size, the College of Arts and Sciences selects up to three fellows.

The 2021 Fellows will be honored during the Alumni Fellows Luncheon at the Memorial Union in Washburn Rooms A & B on November 10, 2021 at 11:30 a.m.