Jayhawk Judges: Hon. Amy Fellows Cline, L’00

When Amy Fellows Cline was a litigator, she liked to focus on the beginning and the end of each case.

During a first meeting with a client, Cline enjoyed watching the client’s anxiety go down as they trusted her to handle their situation. At the end of the case, there was no better feeling than standing with a client and knowing she had helped resolve their problem.

“When you’ve gone on that journey with the client and you’ve gotten to know them and their family and their problem — when you are able to help them at their most vulnerable and get that good result at the end, there is just nothing better,” Cline said.

Before joining the Kansas Court of Appeals in February 2021, Cline practiced in a range of areas, including civil work, criminal work and mediation. In each setting, she helped clients navigate problems or helped parties come to a resolution. Serving as an appellate judge felt like “the next step in solving parties’ legal problems,” Cline said.

The focus of the work is different from when she was a trial lawyer, but the outcome is just as meaningful.

“The impact that you can have on somebody’s life through an opinion is what’s the most meaningful to me — to see how you can make a difference in somebody’s life,” Cline said.

Researching and writing

Cline earned her bachelor’s degree in political science from Wichita State University. The Valley Center native wanted to practice law in Kansas, making KU a natural fit for law school.

A debater in high school and college, Cline knew trial work was where she wanted to be at the start of her law career. After graduating from KU Law, she worked with Fleeson, Gooing, Coulson & Kitch, LLC. She then joined Triplett, Woolf & Garretson, LLC in Wichita, where she practiced from 2004 until her appointment to the Court of Appeals.

Cline practiced all over the state, building experience in criminal, civil and administrative matters. That diversification has been useful in hearing a variety of cases for the appellate court, she said.

As a judge, Cline enjoys the researching and writing aspect. The time constraint that comes with getting up to speed on a new set of cases each month can be challenging, but carefully examining the law and re-reading transcripts of hearings is important to the Court of Appeals’ function as part of a system of checks and balances, Cline said.

“It’s nice to have the luxury of being able to examine the written record because that’s very important in our opinions,” she said.

Cline strives to write her opinions in plain language, so they are accessible to all.

“It’s important for people to understand the law, and it’s easier for people to comply with it if they understand what the law requires,” Cline said. “I try to be very plainspoken in my opinions so that they are understandable to everyone, not just to lawyers.”

'100% in public service'

During her time in private practice, Cline gave back by volunteering with several nonprofits. She served as president of the Kansas Bar Foundation in 2018 and was president of Kansas Legal Services in 2014 and 2015.

In 2020, Cline received the Kansas Bar Foundation’s Robert K. Weary Award for exemplary commitment to the organization’s goals. She also served on KU Law’s Board of Governors.

Working on access to justice issues with Kansas Legal Services and other organizations has been close to Cline’s heart. Coming from a blue-collar background, Cline said she understands not everyone can afford a lawyer when they have a legal need.

“I think it’s an important perspective to have on the court, to understand that people from all walks of life have legal problems,” she said. “And to understand that the resources available to people can be different, which can really impact the decisions people make and the choices they’re presented in their lives.”

Building on her record of community service, Cline has enjoyed applying the collaboration required for nonprofit board volunteering to the collaborative decision-making process she finds on judges’ panels.

In her role on the Court of Appeals, Cline is “100% in public service,” she said.

“I’m all-in on service to the state at this point, and that’s been very rewarding.”

This article appeared in print in the 2021 KU Law Magazine.

Photo by Earl Richardson, L'08