Law Day 2012
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The 2012 Law Day Banquet was held May 1 at Maceli's Banquet Hall.
This year's theme was "No Courts, No Justice, No Freedom: America's courtrooms must be open to keep the wheels of justice turning".
The keynote speaker was Chief Judge Richard D. Greene of the Kansas Court of Appeals. Judge Greene received a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 1972, and a J.D. from Southern Methodist University-Dallas in 1975. After graduation he practiced law with the firm Morris, Laing, Evans, Brock & Kennedy for 28 years. Governor Kathleen Sebelius appointed him to the Court of appeals in 2003, and the Supreme Court appointed him Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals effective January 10, 2011. He serves on the KBA's Bench-Bar Committee and the national Council of Chief Judges of State Courts of Appeal, and is the national chairman of its membership committee. Judge Greene received the Outstanding Service Award from the Kansas Bar Association in 2007 for distinguished service to the profession.
The 2012 Liberty Bell Award was presented to Judy Culley. Judy has run The Shelter, Inc. since before 1984. Under her leadership, The Shelter has expanded to two homes serving children in both the child welfare and juvenile offender systems. The Shelter oversees the unique Douglas County pre-filing diversion program for juveniles; it offers services for older truants; and it coordinates services and referrals to help families before abuse and neglect leads to removal of children from their homes. Judy has demonstrated an amazing commitment to children and families of Douglas County using her creative intellect, her organizational skills, and her caring heart. The winner of the fifth annual Douglas County Legal Essay Contest was Daniel Cronk, a senior at Veritas Christian School. He receives a $750.00 prize for his winning essay on the topic, "Mirror, Mirror on the Wall: Discuss and analyze why the American justice system is or is not the fairest in the world." His essay is on display in the Law Library as well as the Law Library website.