KU Law students make 2021 honor roll for pro bono service

Thu, 05/20/2021

Ashley Golledge

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.

The following 43 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. Students are listed by name, class year and hometown:

Harrison Baker, Class of 2021, Topeka
Douglas Bartel, Class of 2023, Olathe
Sidney Billings, Class of 2021, Lee’s Summit, Missouri
Ethan Crockett, Class of 2022, Baxter Springs
Robert Curtis, Class of 2021, Olathe
Karsyn Dahl, Class of 2022, West Point, Utah
Timothy Dodd, Class of 2023, Wichita
Casey Douglas, Class of 2022, Los Altos, California
Emma Easom, Class of 2021, Albuquerque, New Mexico
Jackson Ely, Class of 2021, Flower Mound, Texas
Hannah Eubanks, Class of 2022, Tempe, Arizona
Alec Feather, Class of 2022, Overland Park
Katelyn Girod, Class of 2023, Overland Park
Cayce Good, Class of 2022, Ogden, Iowa
Patrick Grey, Class of 2023, Olathe
Tyler Hellenbrand, Class of 2022, Barneveld, Wisconsin
Rachel Highsmith, Class of 2022, Hesston
Sim Johal, Class of 2022, Springfield, Missouri
Misbah Karamali, Class of 2021, Overland Park
Chloe Ketchmark, Class of 2022, Overland Park
Katherine Lenson, Class of 2022, Overland Park
Cathryn Lind, Class of 2022, Derby
Mary McMullen, Class of 2022, Yelm, Washington
Cori Moffett, Class of 2021, Kansas City, Missouri
Bria Nelson, Class of 2021, Woodstock, Illinois
Riley Nickel, Class of 2021, Topeka
Sara Pagnotta, Class of 2021, Overland Park
Reiley Pankratz, Class of 2021, Wichita
Alexis Pearson, Class of 2021, Wolcott, Indiana
Stephany Rohleder, Class of 2022, Overland Park
Olivia Ruschill, Class of 2022, Shawnee
Kevin Salazar, Class of 2023, Tucson, Arizona
Cody Seboldt, Class of 2021, Ozark, Missouri
Dahnika Short, Class of 2022, Topeka
Joshua Sipp, Class of 2023, Lee’s Summit, Missouri
Alexandra Speakar, Class of 2023, Farmington, Missouri
Kendra Stacey, Class of 2022, Kansas City, Kansas
Andrew Tague, Class of 2022, Topeka
Katie Tepezano, Class of 2022, El Paso, Texas
Adeline Tolle, Class of 2021, Carrollton, Texas
Abigail Weber, Class of 2022, Olathe
Alex Williams, Class of 2022, Lenexa
Heidi Wolff-Stanton, Class of 2022, Camdenton, Missouri

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. Students recognized with Pro Bono Distinction: