Marilyn M. Harp

Marilyn Harp earned a bachelor’s in social work in 1976 and her law degree in 1979, both from KU. She immediately began working for Kansas Legal Services as a staff attorney, then rose to managing attorney and regional director. In 2006, she became executive director. In this role, she directs a statewide law firm of 45 attorneys who share her commitment to representing those who would otherwise struggle to have their voices heard. Harp and her staff at Kansas Legal Services broaden access to justice to more than 30,000 Kansans each year. She retired from Kansas Legal Services and from teaching at KU Law at the end of 2022.

She received the Kansas Bar Association’s Outstanding Service Award in 1994, 2000 and 2006. She was the recipient of the YWCA Woman of Valor Award in 2001 and was recognized as the Women’s Equality Coalition Woman of the Year in 1990.