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Honorable David E. Bruns
Judge of the Court of Appeals 2011-

David E. Bruns was born on September 17, 1959, in Kansas City, Kansas. He received an associate of arts degree in pre-law from Kansas City, Kansas Community College in 1979, a bachelor of science in education from the University of Kansas in 1981, and a juris doctorate from the Washburn University School of Law in 1984. While in law school, he served as the Notes Editor for the Washburn Law Journal and as Chief Law Clerk for the District Court of Shawnee County, Kansas.

Upon admission to the practice of law in 1984, he joined the Topeka law firm of Goodell, Stratton, Edmonds and Palmer, LLP, where he became a partner in 1989. In private practice, he primarily handled litigation and health law cases in the state and federal courts of Kansas and Missouri. In 1995, he received the Pro Bono Award from the Legal Aid Society of Topeka in recognition of his donation of legal services to low income and elderly clients.

In September 1999, Governor Bill Graves appointed him to serve as Judge of the District Court of Shawnee County, Kansas. Judge Bruns was subsequently retained in office by the voters of Shawnee County in 2000, 2004 and 2008. As a trial court judge, he handled a variety of cases and presided over the first grand jury convened in Shawnee County in more than 10 years.

On April 15, 2011, Governor Sam Brownback appointed him to serve on the Kansas Court of Appeals. Since joining the appellate court in June 2011, Judge Bruns has authored more than 100 opinions. Moreover, he has served on three-judge panels that have decided more than 350 cases.

Judge Bruns has served as an Adjunct Professor at both the Washburn University School of Business and the Washburn University School of Law. At the law school, he continues to teach Complex Litigation and Procedure. In addition, he frequently makes presentations on various legal issues to professional and civic groups.

Over the years, Judge Bruns has been active in numerous professional, civic and community activities at the local, state, national, and international levels. In 2004, he received the Americanism Award from the American Legion—Department of Kansas for his work in organizing the Topeka-Shawnee County Youth Court. He sits on the Board of Directors of Optimist International, the Board of International Mission of the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod, and the Board of Editors of the Kansas Bar Journal. He also continues to be active in his local church, where he serves as an Elder and teaches an adult bible class.

Judge Bruns and his wife, Shawn, have been married for more than 30 years. They have two adult children, a son who owns a personal training business in Overland Park, Kansas, and a daughter who is in graduate school in Atlanta, Georgia.

Opinions authored by Judge David E. Bruns:

• 108116 -- In re Tax Exemption Application of TransCanada Keystone Pipeline.
• 107191 -- Hall v. Knoll Building Maintenance, Inc.
• 106828 -- State v. Sanchez
• 106325 -- In re Adoption of C.A.T.
• 106181 -- Purdum v. Purdum, et al. (concurring)
• 104965 -- Swafford v. McKune
• 104940 -- City of Wichita v. Molitor
• 104859 -- Church of God in Christ, Inc v. Board of Trustees
• 104839 -- State v. Smith
• 104835 -- Daggett v. Board of Public Utilities (concurring)
• 104412 -- Chriestenson v. Russell Stover Candies
• 104274 -- In re Care & Treatment of Twilleger
• 101954 -- State v. Hamon