KU Law student wins grant, plans on serving Salina community

LAWRENCE – A third-year student at the University of Kansas School of Law will receive a grant from the Kansas Farm Bureau Legal Foundation. Lindsay McQuinn is a recipient of the foundation’s Rural Law Practice Grant.

This grant is awarded to law students who intend to practice in rural communities after graduation, bringing legal information and advocacy to those with limited access to resources. A maximum of three students each year can win the $16,500 grant.

“Serving rural communities is important to me because you get to see the impact you’re making on people and seeing that difference,” McQuinn said. “There’s more of an opportunity to get plugged into the community when it’s smaller. I think it’s important to see the different types of cultures and lifestyles and to really see that family and community vibe.”

McQuinn will join Hampton & Royce L.C. in Salina after graduating in May.

“They are already really connected with the community,” McQuinn said. “Working for a firm like that opens up more opportunities to really give back and get more connected with the community.”

McQuinn is no stranger to rural Kansas. Her father grew up in a small community in Missouri, and McQuinn visited her family’s farm as a child.

“At first, I wasn’t sure I could see myself in that small of a town, but when I visited Salina, I just fell in love with the place,” McQuinn said. “It’s smaller than a big city and you get to see people you know every day and develop more of a connection to people.”

“The Kansas Farm Bureau Legal Foundation is making a real impact with its Rural Law Practice Grants. They are meaningful ways to support both new lawyers and rural communities,” said Stacey Blakeman, assistant dean of career services at KU Law.

This grant will give students like McQuinn the opportunity to get more involved and give back financially or timewise more than they would have been able to without this grant.

“I may be able to stay at a smaller firm in a smaller community when I otherwise financially wouldn’t be able to. It’s opening up a lot more doors than it would without it,” McQuinn said.