TOPEKA — The Kansas Supreme Court announced today that it has appointed Douglas T. Shima to be clerk of the appellate courts at the judicial center in Topeka effective March 28.
The clerk of the Kansas Supreme Court is a constitutional officer who, by statute, is also clerk of the Court of Appeals.
Shima has served as the interim appellate clerk since the middle of January, and he has been with the judicial branch since 1995.
"Over the last few months, Mr. Shima has demonstrated both proficiency and enthusiasm performing the duties of the appellate clerk in an evolving work environment," said Chief Justice Lawton Nuss. "We believe his experience and tenacity will be valuable as we continue to move all of our state courts toward a fully integrated, electronic court environment through our eCourt project."
When complete, the eCourt project will merge electronic document filing already used in most Kansas courts with a centralized case management system, uniting all court case information and business processes on a single platform. Electronic case filing in the appellate courts became mandatory November 2, 2015.
"During my 20 years with the courts, I have seen firsthand the judiciary's commitment to the law and to justice for the people of Kansas, so I am especially honored to serve as clerk of the appellate courts," Shima said. "I am also grateful that I work with a great team of dedicated staff who strive to provide exceptionally professional service to any and all who come into contact with the appellate clerk's office."
Shima has been with the appellate courts since 1995, first as a research attorney for the Court of Appeals and then as chambers counsel for Judge G. Joseph Pierron Jr., who sits on the Court of Appeals. He graduated from Washburn University School of Law, where he served as Washburn Law Journal staff, received the Order of the Barristers Award from the Washburn Moot Court Council, and received American Jurisprudence Awards for legal research and writing, and in constitutional law.
He is a member of the Sam A. Crow American Inn of Court and is its current secretary/treasurer. He also is a member of the Kansas Bar Association and the Topeka Bar Association, which awarded him the Outstanding Young Lawyer Award in 1997 and the Hon. E. Newton Vickers Professionalism Award in 2014.
Shima is a longtime volunteer for Meals on Wheels of Shawnee County, where he currently organizes two corporate routes. He is a past president of the organization's board of directors, and he was given the Reuter Award for Distinguished Service to Meals on Wheels in 2013.
Shima and his wife, Michelle, live in Topeka with their daughter and two sons.
In addition to processing cases for the appellate courts, the clerk's office is responsible for conducting bar examinations, keeping records of admissions to the Kansas bar, and attorney registration. The clerk is also secretary for the Commission on Judicial Qualifications, the Client Protection Fund Commission, the Kansas Board of Law Examiners, and the Supreme Court Nominating Commission.
The clerk's office also conducts elections for lawyer members of the Supreme Court Nominating Commission and elections for lawyer members of the District Judicial Nominating Commissions in 17 of the state's 31 judicial districts.
The clerk of the appellate courts is responsible for conducting certified court reporter examinations, granting certificates of eligibility for certified court reporters, and registering certified court reporters.