TOPEKA--The Kansas Supreme Court will present the 2014 Justice Award to Wichita attorney Robert I. Guenthner in a public ceremony at 2 p.m. Friday, March 7, in recognition of his contributions to the advancement of justice in Kansas throughout his career.
The ceremony will take place in the Supreme Court courtroom on the second floor of the Kansas Judicial Center, 301 SW 10th Avenue, Topeka, and it will be webcast live.
“Robert Guenthner is the ideal recipient for this award,” said Chief Justice Lawton Nuss. “He has given more than 30 years of extended, dedicated service to justice, especially as it relates to the Kansas Board for Discipline of Attorneys.”
Guenthner was chairman of the Kansas Bar Association committee that developed rules on disciplinary enforcement and was the principal draftsman of rules adopted by the Supreme Court that established the office of the Disciplinary Administrator. He continues to serve on the Review Committee that studies complaints and investigative reports to determine whether probable cause exists to believe an attorney has violated disciplinary rules.
“Kansans can be proud of the work of the Board of Discipline in effectively dealing with ethics complaints made against attorneys,” said Guenthner. “It is gratifying for me to be recognized by the Supreme Court for my work on the board.”
Guenthner graduated with highest distinction from the University of Kansas School of Law and has been with the law firm Morris, Laing, Evans, Brock & Kennedy, Chartered, in Wichita, since 1967, where his practice concentrates on business, banking, probate, trust and tax law. He’s been active in the business community and has served on several Wichita bank boards, as well as the boards of civic and nonprofit organizations. He also served as a director and vice chair of the Kansas Development Finance Authority.
His professional involvements include serving on several committees with the Wichita, Kansas and American Bar associations. He wrote a chapter of a Kansas Bar Association’s Estate Administration Handbook and was the 2013 recipient of the Kansas Bar Association’s professionalism award.
The Supreme Court presents the Justice Award to recognize individuals or organizations that have made significant contributions to the improvement of justice in Kansas. As a recipient, Guenthner will receive a plaque and a $500 stipend, and his name will be added to the permanent list of recipients displayed outside the Supreme Court courtroom in the Judicial Center.
The award stipend comes from earnings on a $10,000 check awarded by the Foundation for the Improvement of Justice to the Supreme Court for its program to shorten the amount of time it takes to dispose of a case through Kansas courts. Kansas was the first state to establish specific time standards for each of five major case categories.
Any Kansan or Kansas organization is eligible to receive the Justice Award, except Supreme Court justices, their personal staff and members of the Justice Award Nominating Committee.
The Justice Award has been given 16 times since its inception in 1989. The most recent recipients include: Professor James Concannon (2012); Gerald L. Goodell (2007); and the Hon. David Prager (2001).