Lawton Nuss
Encyclopedia
Lawton R. Nuss is a Kansas Supreme Court
Justice appointed by Governor Bill Graves
in August 2002. He is the current Chief Justice upon Robert E. Davis
's resignation.
, Kansas
in 1952. After graduating from Salina High School in 1970, he attended the University of Kansas
on a Naval Reserve Officers' Training Corps scholarship. He graduated in January 1975 with B.A.
's in English and History and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps
. He then served as a combat engineering officer with the Fleet Marine Force Pacific. After his discharge in 1979, he entered law school at the University of Kansas earning a J.D.
in May 1982.
of Clark, Mize and Linville, Chartered in August 1982. For the next 20 years, he was involved in a wide range of legal issues and proceedings. He represented corporations and individuals as plaintiffs as well as defendants in civil cases. He also represented the government as well as defendants in criminal cases. Based upon surveys of judges and fellow lawyers, during this time he was awarded an AV" rating from Martindale-Hubbell, that organization's highest rating for legal ability and professional ethics.
Justice Nuss' professional activities while a lawyer included serving as Chairman of the Board of Editors for the Journal of the Kansas Bar Association
; as President of the Kansas Association of Defense Counsel, where he also received the Distinguished Service Award and the Defense Research Institute Exceptional Performance Citation; as President of the Saline
-Ottawa
County Bar Association; and as a mediator for the United States District Court for the District of Kansas. Justice Nuss also served as Chairman of the Salvation Army
Advisory Board, and as a member of the Board of Trustees of St. John's Military School
, the Board of Directors of the Salina Child Care Association, the Board of Directors of the Friends of the Salina Public Library, the Board of Advisors of the Coronado Area Council of Boy Scouts
. and the Site Council for Roosevelt-Lincoln Middle School. He was appointed to the Supreme Court by Governor Bill Graves in August 2002, becoming the first Court member in more than 20 years to move directly from the practice of law to the bench.
Justice Nuss currently serves as Chairman of the Kansas Judicial Council, an organization created in 1927 by the Kansas Legislature
. The Judicial Council, whose members include the chairpersons of the judiciary committees of the Kansas Senate
and Kansas House of Representatives
, is authorized by the legislature
to study any area of law and to recommend improvements in the administration of justice. It may accept assignments from the legislature or the Supreme Court in fulfilling those responsibilities.
Justice Nuss further serves as the Departmental Justice for Kansas' First Judicial Department, an area stretching approximately from Salina north to the Nebraska
border and west to the Colorado
border. Additionally, he is the Supreme Court liaison to the Kansas Client Protection Fund Commission. The Commission's goal is to promote public confidence in the administration of justice and the integrity of the legal profession by reimbursing losses to clients caused by the dishonest conduct of lawyers. Justice Nuss is also the Court liaison to the Kansas Board of Law Examiners, which tests lawyers for their abilities to practice law in the state, and to the Kansas Board of Court Reporters which licenses court reporters.
Justice Nuss also currently serves as co-Chair of the State and Federal Courts Committee of the Kansas Bar Association
. He is a member of the Board of Editors for the Journal of the Kansas Bar Association
, the Advisory Board for the Topeka-Shawnee County Youth Court, the United States Supreme Court Historical Society, the Dwight D. Opperman
Institute of Judicial Administration at New York University School of Law
, the American Judges Association, and the Kansas Bar Association
.
Justice Nuss is a graduate of the Appellate Judges School at New York University School of law and the United States Naval Justice School of Newport, Rhode Island. He is also the author of several published legal and historical articles and is a frequent presenter for legal and lay audiences.
Justice Nuss has five grown children. He and his wife, Barbara reside in Topeka.
Kansas Supreme Court
The Kansas Supreme Court is the highest judicial authority in the state of Kansas. Composed of seven justices, led by Chief Justice Lawton Nuss, the Court supervises the legal profession, administers over the judicial branch, and serves as the state court of last resort in the appeals...
Justice appointed by Governor Bill Graves
Bill Graves
William Preston "Bill" Graves , was the 43rd Governor of Kansas from 1995 until 2003.Graves was born in Salina, Kansas in 1953 to parents who owned a trucking firm...
in August 2002. He is the current Chief Justice upon Robert E. Davis
Robert E. Davis
Robert E. Davis was the Chief Justice of the Kansas Supreme Court from 2009 to 2010. He was first appointed in 1993 and became chief justice on January 12, 2009.-Personal life:...
's resignation.
Personal life
Lawton R. Nuss was born in SalinaSalina, Kansas
Salina is a city in and the county seat of Saline County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 47,707. Located in one of the world's largest wheat-producing areas, Salina is a regional trade center for north-central Kansas...
, Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
in 1952. After graduating from Salina High School in 1970, he attended the University of Kansas
University of Kansas
The University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The...
on a Naval Reserve Officers' Training Corps scholarship. He graduated in January 1975 with B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
's in English and History and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
. He then served as a combat engineering officer with the Fleet Marine Force Pacific. After his discharge in 1979, he entered law school at the University of Kansas earning a J.D.
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
in May 1982.
Professional life
Justice Nuss began his law practice with the Salina law firmLaw firm
A law firm is a business entity formed by one or more lawyers to engage in the practice of law. The primary service rendered by a law firm is to advise clients about their legal rights and responsibilities, and to represent clients in civil or criminal cases, business transactions, and other...
of Clark, Mize and Linville, Chartered in August 1982. For the next 20 years, he was involved in a wide range of legal issues and proceedings. He represented corporations and individuals as plaintiffs as well as defendants in civil cases. He also represented the government as well as defendants in criminal cases. Based upon surveys of judges and fellow lawyers, during this time he was awarded an AV" rating from Martindale-Hubbell, that organization's highest rating for legal ability and professional ethics.
Justice Nuss' professional activities while a lawyer included serving as Chairman of the Board of Editors for the Journal of the Kansas Bar Association
Kansas Bar Association
The Kansas Bar Association is a voluntary, non-profit bar association for the state of Kansas with the headquarters located at 12th and Harrison St. in Topeka. The KBA has approximately 7,000 members and was founded in 1882.- Membership :...
; as President of the Kansas Association of Defense Counsel, where he also received the Distinguished Service Award and the Defense Research Institute Exceptional Performance Citation; as President of the Saline
Saline County, Kansas
Saline County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 55,606...
-Ottawa
Ottawa County, Kansas
Ottawa County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 6,091. The largest city and county seat is Minneapolis...
County Bar Association; and as a mediator for the United States District Court for the District of Kansas. Justice Nuss also served as Chairman of the Salvation Army
Salvation Army
The Salvation Army is a Protestant Christian church known for its thrift stores and charity work. It is an international movement that currently works in over a hundred countries....
Advisory Board, and as a member of the Board of Trustees of St. John's Military School
St. John's Military School
St. John's Military School, located in Salina, Kansas, is a private boarding military school for male students from grades 6 to 12. It aims to develop students' academic and leadership skills in a "military environment" overseen by a President, Academic Dean and Commandant of Cadets. It has the...
, the Board of Directors of the Salina Child Care Association, the Board of Directors of the Friends of the Salina Public Library, the Board of Advisors of the Coronado Area Council of Boy Scouts
Boy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with over 4.5 million youth members in its age-related divisions...
. and the Site Council for Roosevelt-Lincoln Middle School. He was appointed to the Supreme Court by Governor Bill Graves in August 2002, becoming the first Court member in more than 20 years to move directly from the practice of law to the bench.
Justice Nuss currently serves as Chairman of the Kansas Judicial Council, an organization created in 1927 by the Kansas Legislature
Kansas Legislature
The Kansas Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Kansas. It is a bicameral assembly, composed of the lower Kansas House of Representatives, composed of 125 Representatives, and the upper Kansas Senate, with 40 Senators...
. The Judicial Council, whose members include the chairpersons of the judiciary committees of the Kansas Senate
Kansas Senate
The Kansas Senate is the upper house of the Kansas Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. State of Kansas. It is composed of 40 Senators representing an equal amount of districts, each with a population of at least 60,000 inhabitants. Members of the Senate are elected to a four year term....
and Kansas House of Representatives
Kansas House of Representatives
The Kansas House of Representatives is the lower house of the Kansas Legislature, the legislative body of the U.S. State of Kansas. Composed of 125 state representatives from districts with roughly equal populations of at least 19,000, its members are responsible for crafting and voting on...
, is authorized by the legislature
Legislature
A legislature is a kind of deliberative assembly with the power to pass, amend, and repeal laws. The law created by a legislature is called legislation or statutory law. In addition to enacting laws, legislatures usually have exclusive authority to raise or lower taxes and adopt the budget and...
to study any area of law and to recommend improvements in the administration of justice. It may accept assignments from the legislature or the Supreme Court in fulfilling those responsibilities.
Justice Nuss further serves as the Departmental Justice for Kansas' First Judicial Department, an area stretching approximately from Salina north to the Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
border and west to the Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
border. Additionally, he is the Supreme Court liaison to the Kansas Client Protection Fund Commission. The Commission's goal is to promote public confidence in the administration of justice and the integrity of the legal profession by reimbursing losses to clients caused by the dishonest conduct of lawyers. Justice Nuss is also the Court liaison to the Kansas Board of Law Examiners, which tests lawyers for their abilities to practice law in the state, and to the Kansas Board of Court Reporters which licenses court reporters.
Justice Nuss also currently serves as co-Chair of the State and Federal Courts Committee of the Kansas Bar Association
Kansas Bar Association
The Kansas Bar Association is a voluntary, non-profit bar association for the state of Kansas with the headquarters located at 12th and Harrison St. in Topeka. The KBA has approximately 7,000 members and was founded in 1882.- Membership :...
. He is a member of the Board of Editors for the Journal of the Kansas Bar Association
Kansas Bar Association
The Kansas Bar Association is a voluntary, non-profit bar association for the state of Kansas with the headquarters located at 12th and Harrison St. in Topeka. The KBA has approximately 7,000 members and was founded in 1882.- Membership :...
, the Advisory Board for the Topeka-Shawnee County Youth Court, the United States Supreme Court Historical Society, the Dwight D. Opperman
Dwight D. Opperman
Dwight D. Opperman is currently chairman of Key Investments, a privately held venture capital firm focusing on high-tech ventures. Previously, Opperman was the CEO of West Publishing Company and while he was CEO the company moved into technology products with the creation of the Westlaw legal...
Institute of Judicial Administration at New York University School of Law
New York University School of Law
The New York University School of Law is the law school of New York University. Established in 1835, the school offers the J.D., LL.M., and J.S.D. degrees in law, and is located in Greenwich Village, in the New York City borough of Manhattan....
, the American Judges Association, and the Kansas Bar Association
Kansas Bar Association
The Kansas Bar Association is a voluntary, non-profit bar association for the state of Kansas with the headquarters located at 12th and Harrison St. in Topeka. The KBA has approximately 7,000 members and was founded in 1882.- Membership :...
.
Justice Nuss is a graduate of the Appellate Judges School at New York University School of law and the United States Naval Justice School of Newport, Rhode Island. He is also the author of several published legal and historical articles and is a frequent presenter for legal and lay audiences.
Justice Nuss has five grown children. He and his wife, Barbara reside in Topeka.
Awards
- Distinguished Service Award from the Kansas Association of Defense Counsel
- Defense Research Institute Exceptional Performance Citation
- "AV" rating from Martindale-Hubbell, that organization's highest rating for legal ability and professional ethics.