Why We Stand With the Courts

We are trial lawyers. We represent the disadvantaged, the powerless and the oppressed. To a great extent, our clients come to us as a last resort. Many times clients have remarked to me: “I never thought I would need a lawyer”. Our job is to give them their day in court.

The Courts are meant to be an equal branch of government and to serve as a check on the other two. The Courts are often at odds with the executive and legislative branches while most of the public has little or no interaction with the Courts. It is only the trial lawyers who know how essential fair and impartial Courts are to the republic.

In the recent retention battle, we stood with the Court. We raised money, we made presentations throughout the state and wrote letters to the editor. The result was a vindication of our Court. I believe that the retention battle of 2016 will live on as a milestone in Kansas history. I also believe that almost no one knows and even fewer will remember, the vital role that we, Kansas Trial Lawyers, played in fending off this attack.

It is a new year and a new challenge. The legislature is refusing to fully fund the Courts. Our judges are among the lowest paid in the country and courthouse employees are forced to work for far less than they could earn in the private sector. Once again we are going to carry the fight and take this to the legislature. The Courts must be fully funded. This is a task that we take seriously and we will not stop until we once again fend off this attack.

We stand with the Courts.