Three nominated for Court of Appeals vacancy

The Supreme Court Nominating Commission Friday sent the names of two district judges and a Topeka attorney to Gov. Sam Brownback as nominees to fill a vacancy on the Court of Appeals that was created by the appointment of Justice Nancy L. Moritz to the Supreme Court.

Nominated were Shawnee County District Judge David E. Bruns, Labette County District Judge Jeffry L. Jack, and Topeka attorney Teresa Watson. The three were selected following inter views of 19 persons who applied for the vacancy. The interviews were open to the public.

Judge Bruns has been on the Shawnee County bench since 1999. Prior to his appointment as judge, he was in private practice with the Topeka law firm of Goodell, Stratton, Edmonds & Palmer, L.L.P., where he became a partner in 1989. He had practiced in that firm since his graduate from the Washburn University School of Law in 1984. He has been an adjunct professor of law at the Washburn law school since 1977. Judge Bruns received his undergraduate degree from the University of Kansas in 1981.

Judge Jack was appointed to the position in 2005 and before that served in the House of Representatives from January 2003 until his judicial appointment. The judge practiced law in Parsons from 1989 until 2005. In addition to his service as judge, he has been active in a number of Parsons civic organizations, including Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Labette County, Labette County Local Emergency Planning Committee, Parsons Downtown Business Redevelopment Task Force, Juvenile Justice Citizens Advisory Board, and the Kansas Army Ammunition Plant Task Force. He is a 1983 cum laude graduate of Harvard University and a 1987 graduate of the University of Kansas School of Law.

Watson, who is a member of the Topeka firm of Fisher, Patterson, Sayler & Smith L.L. P., is included on the Best Lawyers in America in the area of Appellate Law for 2010 and 2011. She was named "Boss of the Year" by the Topeka Paralegals Association for 2010. During her legal career, she has served as a research attorney for both the state Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court. She has been a member of the Fisher, Patterson firm since 2003. She is a 1994 magna cum laude graduate of the Washburn University School of Law where she also received an undergraduate degree with high honors.

The governor will have 60 days in which to make an appointment.