Stephen Six
Encyclopedia
Stephen N. Six is an American
attorney
and former judge
from Kansas
who served as Kansas' 43rd Attorney General
. He was nominated to serve as a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
on March 9, 2011. He is currently a partner at the Kansas City and San Diego based law firm, Stueve Siegel Hanson LLP.
Justice Fred Six. He received a Bachelor of Arts
degree from Carleton College
in Northfield, Minnesota
in 1988 and earned his law degree
from the University of Kansas
in 1993.
to Judge Deanell Reece Tacha
of the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
. From 1994 to 2005, he served as a Partner in the Kansas City, Missouri
law firm of Shamberg, Johnson, and Bergman. He was appointed as a Judge on the Douglas County
Circuit Court by Governor Sebelius
in January 2005, serving in that post until his appointment as Attorney General by Governor Kathleen Sebelius in 2008.
Six was defeated in the 2010 general election
by Republican
State Senate
Majority Leader Derek Schmidt
. He is currently a Partner in the Lawrence, Kansas law firm of Stevens & Brand.
Six focused the office on protecting consumers and cracking down on fraud and waste in the state Medicaid program. During Six's tenure, the Consumer Protection Division recovered $39.5 million on behalf of Kansans. The Medicaid Fraud Division recovered $66.2 million.
In 2008, Six became the first Kansas Attorney General in 35 years to personally prosecute a case. He earned a jury conviction in 2008 of Kenneth Wilson for the first degree murder of Scott Noel in Osborne County, Kansas
. He earned a jury conviction in 2009 of Israel Mireles for the capital murder of Emily Sander in Butler County, Kansas
.
On December 1, 2008, Attorney General Six argued before the United States Supreme Court in Kansas v. Colorado
, a dispute over Colorado's overuse of water in the Arkansas River
.
to take senior status
. Six's nomination is pending before the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary
. His nomination was opposed for unspecified reasons by his home state [Senators] and due to that opposition the Judiciary Committee will not take up his nomination. Six's Former AG Six not heading to federal appeals court].
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
attorney
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
and former judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
from 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...
who served as Kansas' 43rd Attorney General
Kansas Attorney General
The Attorney General of Kansas is a statewide elected official responsible for providing legal services to the state government of Kansas.-Divisions:* Criminal Justice* Civil Litigation* Consumer Protection* Concealed Carry...
. He was nominated to serve as a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:* District of Colorado* District of Kansas...
on March 9, 2011. He is currently a partner at the Kansas City and San Diego based law firm, Stueve Siegel Hanson LLP.
Early life and education
Stephen Six is the son of former Kansas Supreme CourtKansas 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 Fred Six. He received a Bachelor of Arts
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...
degree from Carleton College
Carleton College
Carleton College is an independent non-sectarian, coeducational, liberal arts college in Northfield, Minnesota, USA. The college enrolls 1,958 undergraduate students, and employs 198 full-time faculty members. In 2012 U.S...
in Northfield, Minnesota
Northfield, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 17,147 people, 4,909 households, and 3,210 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,452.2 people per square mile . There were 5,119 housing units at an average density of 732.1 per square mile...
in 1988 and earned his law degree
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...
from 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...
in 1993.
Legal career
Following graduation from law school, Six served as a law clerkLaw clerk
A law clerk or a judicial clerk is a person who provides assistance to a judge in researching issues before the court and in writing opinions. Law clerks are not court clerks or courtroom deputies, who are administrative staff for the court. Most law clerks are recent law school graduates who...
to Judge Deanell Reece Tacha
Deanell Reece Tacha
Deanell Reece Tacha is a retired United States federal judge who served on the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit....
of the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:* District of Colorado* District of Kansas...
. From 1994 to 2005, he served as a Partner in the Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
law firm of Shamberg, Johnson, and Bergman. He was appointed as a Judge on the Douglas County
Douglas County, Kansas
Douglas County is a county located in northeast Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 110,826...
Circuit Court by Governor Sebelius
Kathleen Sebelius
Kathleen Sebelius is an American politician currently serving as the 21st Secretary of Health and Human Services. She was the second female Governor of Kansas from 2003 to 2009, the Democratic respondent to the 2008 State of the Union address, and chair-emerita of the Democratic Governors...
in January 2005, serving in that post until his appointment as Attorney General by Governor Kathleen Sebelius in 2008.
Six was defeated in the 2010 general election
United States elections, 2010
The 2010 United States elections were held on Tuesday, November 2, 2010. During this midterm election year, all 435 seats in the United States House of Representatives and 37 of the 100 seats in the United States Senate were contested in this election along with 38 state and territorial...
by Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
State 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....
Majority Leader Derek Schmidt
Derek Schmidt
Derek Schmidt is a the 44th and current Attorney General of Kansas. Schmidt previously served as member of the Kansas Senate, representing the 15th district, and as Senate Majority Leader. Before serving in the legislature, he was Special Counsel to Governor Bill Graves.Schmidt defeated former...
. He is currently a Partner in the Lawrence, Kansas law firm of Stevens & Brand.
43rd Attorney General of Kansas
Six was recognized by Kansas editorial boards for restoring professionalism and stability to the office after the tenures of previous Attorneys General Paul Morrison and Phill Kline. Six was also recognized for cutting the office's taxpayer-funded budget almost in half.Six focused the office on protecting consumers and cracking down on fraud and waste in the state Medicaid program. During Six's tenure, the Consumer Protection Division recovered $39.5 million on behalf of Kansans. The Medicaid Fraud Division recovered $66.2 million.
In 2008, Six became the first Kansas Attorney General in 35 years to personally prosecute a case. He earned a jury conviction in 2008 of Kenneth Wilson for the first degree murder of Scott Noel in Osborne County, Kansas
Osborne County, Kansas
Osborne County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 3,858. The largest city and county seat is Osborne.-19th century:...
. He earned a jury conviction in 2009 of Israel Mireles for the capital murder of Emily Sander in Butler County, Kansas
Butler County, Kansas
Butler County is a county located in South Central Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 65,880. Its county seat and most populous city is El Dorado. The county is a part of the Wichita Metropolitan Statistical Area.-19th century:It was named in...
.
On December 1, 2008, Attorney General Six argued before the United States Supreme Court in Kansas v. Colorado
Kansas v. Colorado
Kansas v. Colorado is a longstanding litigation before the Supreme Court of the United States between two states of the United States, Kansas and Colorado. The Court has rendered numerous opinions in this case:* Kansas v. Colorado, * Kansas v. Colorado,...
, a dispute over Colorado's overuse of water in the Arkansas River
Arkansas River
The Arkansas River is a major tributary of the Mississippi River. The Arkansas generally flows to the east and southeast as it traverses the U.S. states of Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. The river's initial basin starts in the Western United States in Colorado, specifically the Arkansas...
.
Nomination to the Tenth Circuit
On March 9, 2011, President Obama nominated Six to the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, to fill the vacancy created by the decision by Judge Deanell Reece TachaDeanell Reece Tacha
Deanell Reece Tacha is a retired United States federal judge who served on the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit....
to take senior status
Senior status
Senior status is a form of semi-retirement for United States federal judges, and judges in some state court systems. After federal judges have reached a certain combination of age and years of service on the federal courts, they are allowed to assume senior status...
. Six's nomination is pending before the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary
United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary
The United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary is a standing committee of the United States Senate, of the United States Congress. The Judiciary Committee, with 18 members, is charged with conducting hearings prior to the Senate votes on confirmation of federal judges nominated by the...
. His nomination was opposed for unspecified reasons by his home state [Senators] and due to that opposition the Judiciary Committee will not take up his nomination. Six's Former AG Six not heading to federal appeals court].
Personal
He is married to Betsy Brand Six, a Law Professor at the University of Kansas, and is a member of the United Church of Christ.External links
- http://kansas.gov
- http://www.ksag.org