In a bid to address the regional disparity in legal education and practice, Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett is championing the establishment of a law school within the county.
Currently, Kansas hosts only two law schools: Washburn University School of Law in Topeka and the University of Kansas School of Law in Lawrence.
This concentration in the northeastern part of the state has led to a significant imbalance in the distribution of legal professionals.
Geographical Disparity in Legal Representation
According to Bennett, approximately 65% of Kansas’s attorneys are concentrated in five counties surrounding the Kansas City area, while Wichita accounts for 15%.
This leaves the remaining 99 counties competing for the remaining 20% of legal practitioners. The considerable distance to existing law schools poses a barrier for residents in the southern and western regions of Kansas who might consider pursuing a legal career.
Proposed Solutions: Satellite Campus vs. New Institution
To mitigate this disparity, Bennett has initiated discussions with Sedgwick County Commissioners and representatives from both Washburn University and the University of Kansas about the possibility of establishing a satellite campus in Wichita.
He suggests that setting up a satellite campus would be more expedient than creating an entirely new law school, potentially accelerating the timeline for producing local law graduates.
Challenges in Legal Employment
The shortage of attorneys in Sedgwick County has broader implications. A study conducted by Wichita State University highlighted that attorneys in the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office are often underpaid and overworked compared to their counterparts in other regions.
This disparity not only affects the efficiency of legal proceedings but also impacts the quality of legal representation available to the community.
Potential Benefits of a Local Law School
Establishing a law school or satellite campus in Sedgwick County could yield several advantages:
- Enhanced Access to Legal Education: Residents in the southern half of Kansas and rural areas would have improved opportunities to pursue legal studies without the need to relocate.
- Expansion of Legal Workforce: An increase in locally trained attorneys could alleviate the current shortage, ensuring more equitable legal representation across the state.
- Support for Legal Practices: Local law firms and public defender offices could benefit from a larger pool of qualified candidates and law clerks, potentially reducing workloads and improving service delivery.
Projected Timeline and Next Steps
While discussions are in the preliminary stages, Bennett emphasizes the importance of initiating these conversations promptly.
He envisions the possibility of welcoming the first graduating class by 2030, though acknowledges that 2035 may be a more realistic target.
The focus remains on developing a sustainable plan that addresses the current challenges in legal education and practice within Sedgwick County.
The proposal to establish a law school in Sedgwick County represents a proactive approach to addressing the geographical and professional disparities in Kansas’s legal landscape.
By enhancing access to legal education and expanding the local legal workforce, this initiative holds the promise of fostering a more balanced and effective legal system within the state.
