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Editors: Includes Kansas students from Baxter Springs, Derby, Hesston, Hutchinson, Lenexa, Kansas City, Olathe, Overland Park, Shawnee, Topeka and Wichita (67206, 6721) as well as Missouri students from Lee’s Summit.
Contact: Ashley Golledge, School of Law, [email protected], @kulawschool
KU Law students make 2021 honor roll for pro bono service
LAWRENCE – Fifty-five University of Kansas School of Law students contributed 4,105 hours of unpaid legal services over the past year. This is the largest number of students who completed pro bono service in an academic year since the beginning of KU Law’s pro bono program.
Students prepared tax returns for low-income residents, drafted petitions for families seeking guardianship of their adult children with disabilities and worked with nonprofit organizations, government agencies, prosecutors’ offices and public defenders’ offices.
“There is always a great need for pro bono legal services, but the pandemic exacerbated that need and made service provision more challenging,” said Meredith Schnug, clinical associate professor and chair of KU Law’s Pro Bono Committee. “KU Law students rose to the occasion, and we’re proud of their commitment to service.”
Pro bono work is defined as uncompensated, law-related work that benefits the public, such as through a nonprofit organization or government agency.
Through the ACLU of Kansas’ Clemency Project, nine students advocated for the release of Kansas prisoners who are medically vulnerable or have completed most of their sentence.
“Throughout law school, it’s so easy to take the knowledge and opportunities we have for granted. The legal system is complex and often inaccessible to those without the same opportunity we have had as law students,” third-year law student Cori Moffett said. “Doing pro bono work is a way to acknowledge that privilege and share the insane amount of knowledge we have with those that need it.”
Last summer, the KU Law Legal Corps paired students with pro bono opportunities at regional nonprofits and government agencies. Legal Corps student volunteers contributed 382 pro bono hours, with work including conducting research for the Willow Domestic Violence Center and Douglas County CASA.
Forty-three students completed 15 hours or more of pro bono service during the 2020-2021 academic year, earning a spot on KU Law’s Pro Bono Honor Roll. This is the largest number of students who earned a spot on the Pro Bono Honor Roll in an academic year since the beginning of KU Law’s pro bono program. Kansas and Kansas City area students are listed below by name, class year and hometown (see the full list online):
1. Harrison Baker, Class of 2021, Topeka
2. Douglas Bartel, Class of 2023, Olathe
3. Sidney Billings, Class of 2021, Lee’s Summit, Missouri
4. Ethan Crockett, Class of 2022, Baxter Springs
5. Robert Curtis, Class of 2021, Olathe
6. Timothy Dodd, Class of 2023, Wichita (67218)
7. Alec Feather, Class of 2022, Overland Park
8. Katelyn Girod, Class of 2023, Overland Park
9. Patrick Grey, Class of 2023, Olathe
10. Rachel Highsmith, Class of 2022, Hesston
11. Misbah Karamali, Class of 2021, Overland Park
12. Chloe Ketchmark, Class of 2022, Overland Park
13. Katherine Lenson, Class of 2022, Overland Park
14. Cathryn Lind, Class of 2022, Derby
15. Cori Moffett, Class of 2021, Overland Park
16. Riley Nickel, Class of 2021, Topeka
17. Sara Pagnotta, Class of 2021, Overland Park
18. Reiley Pankratz, Class of 2021, Wichita (67206)
19. Stephany Rohleder, Class of 2022, Overland Park
20. Olivia Ruschill, Class of 2022, Shawnee
21. Dahnika Short, Class of 2022, Topeka
22. Joshua Sipp, Class of 2023, Lee’s Summit, Missouri
23. Kendra Stacey, Class of 2022, Kansas City, Kansas
24. Andrew Tague, Class of 2022, Topeka
25. Abigail Weber, Class of 2022, Olathe
26. Alex Williams, Class of 2022, Lenexa
In addition, 16 students were honored with Pro Bono Distinction for having completed 50 hours or more of pro bono service throughout their law school career. Collectively, members of the Class of 2021 completed 2,461 hours of pro bono service.
Students who received Pro Bono Distinction were honored during the law school’s virtual Hooding Ceremony on May 15. Kansas and Kansas City area students recognized with Pro Bono Distinction are listed below (full list online):
1. Harrison Baker, Class of 2021, Topeka
2. Ellen Bertels, Class of 2021, Overland Park
3. Sidney Billings, Class of 2021, Lee’s Summit, Missouri
4. Robert Curtis, Class of 2021, Olathe
5. Delaney Hiegert, Class of 2021, Topeka
6. Misbah Karamali, Class of 2021, Overland Park
7. Cori Moffett, Class of 2021, Overland Park
8. Sara Pagnotta, Class of 2021, Overland Park
9. Peter Qiu, Class of 2021, Hutchinson.
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Erinn Barcomb-Peterson, director of news and media relations, [email protected]
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