FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 30, 2021
Hays Attorney Appointed by Governor Kelly to Serve on the Kansas Court of Appeals Nominating Commission
Governor Laura Kelly has appointed Hays attorney Todd D. Powell to the Court of Appeals Nominating Commission. Powell is a partner in the Hays law firm of Glassman Bird Powell, LLP, practicing in the areas of personal injury and civil litigation, estate planning and litigation, domestic and appellate law, and municipal and governmental law. Prior to joining the firm in 2015, Powell served for eleven years as General Counsel of Fort Hays State University. Powell, a 1998 graduate of Washburn University School of Law, cum laude, and a 1995 graduate of Fort Hays State University with a B.A. in History, resides in Hays with his wife Trina and their two sons.
In 2020, Governor Kelly, by Executive Order, created the Kansas Court of Appeals Nominating Committee, comprised of five legal professionals and four public appointees, representing various segments of society. The Commission is charged with vetting and recommending applicants for the Court of Appeals to the Governor.
Governor Kelly said when she created the Commission: “In Kansas we appoint judges not because of who they know or what they believe, but because of their merit, that means our judges have proven their character, their understanding of the law, and their commitment to the cause of justice. Nonpartisan, merit-based selection has served the state well. The Court of Appeals Nominating Commission will continue those efforts, and I am confident that the nominees it selects for my consideration will represent the best Kansas has to offer.”
Upon being informed of his selection by the Governor, Powell said that his varied experience will help him identify good nonpartisan and highly competent judicial aspirants. “My experience as a Law Clerk for Judge David Knudson on the Court of Appeals in my first years of law practice and my experience appearing before the Court will bring the knowledge of what qualities good appellate judges should have”, said Powell.
After the Commission nominates three qualified applicants to the Governor to fill any vacancy on the Kansas Court of Appeals, the Governor then appoints a person to fill the vacancy and serve as a Judge on the Court of Appeals, subject to confirmation by the Kansas Senate.
The Commission will interview applicants on January 5, 2022, to fill the vacancy on the Kansas Court of Appeals created by the upcoming retirement of Judge Michael B. Buser.