Kansas City law firm establishes scholarship for underrepresented students at KU Law
LAWRENCE — Stueve Siegel Hanson, a Kansas City, Missouri-based law firm, has given a $1 million gift to establish a scholarship for Black students at the University of Kansas School of Law.
Patrick Stueve, a partner in the firm and KU Law alumnus, sees the scholarship as a small step toward increasing the number of Black lawyers working in the community.
Stueve said research determined one of the ways the firm could have the most impact was through working to expand diverse enrollment at law schools in the Kansas City region.
“Our firm’s core values include the pursuit of justice and active investment in our profession and our community,” Stueve said. “We are committed to being agents of positive change, and we are committed to real action.”
KU Law has played a significant role at Stueve Siegel Hanson; currently, one-quarter of the lawyers at the firm are graduates of KU Law. Stueve serves on the law school’s Board of Governors, and his partner Steve Six, also a KU Law alumnus, is an adjunct professor of antitrust law at the school.
Stephen Mazza, dean and professor of KU Law, expressed his appreciation for the gift.
“This gift to KU Law from Stueve Siegel Hanson will strengthen our efforts to recruit excellent students who contribute diversity to the legal field,” Mazza said. “The gift recognizes the importance of increasing representation in legal education. We are grateful to the partners of Stueve Siegel Hanson for their continued support of the law school.”
The firm hopes other law firms will be motivated to help fund scholarships for underserved populations.
“As lawyers, we must acknowledge that we cannot achieve ‘Justice for All’ until our legal system fully represents the communities we serve,” said co-founder Norman Siegel. “Supporting KU Law means supporting the critical first step of recruiting and developing the next generation of attorneys, advocates, judges and lawmakers.”
KU Endowment is the independent, nonprofit organization serving as the official fundraising and fund-management organization for KU. Founded in 1891, KU Endowment was the first foundation of its kind at a U.S. public university.