Access to Justice Committee

About the committee

The Access to Justice Committee makes recommendations to the Supreme Court about issues such as:

• increasing resources available for legal services for self-represented litigants in civil cases;

• improving planning and coordination of legal services delivery; and

• reducing potential barriers to equal access to justice.

Study

The ​Assessment of Self-Represented Litigant Services released in 2020 offers recommendations on simplifying processes, developing statewide self-help tools, increasing training, and improving data collection and analysis. 
 

Committee roster

• District Judge Carl William Ossmann, chair, who serves in the 3rd Judicial District, which is Shawnee County
   

• Chief Judge Kevin Berens of the 15th Judicial District, composed of Cheyenne, Logan, Rawlins, Sheridan, Sherman, Thomas, and Wallace counties
   

• Starla Borg Nelson, a lawyer at Navis & Nelson in Belleville
   

• Christy Campbell, Kansas Legal Services, Wichita
   

• Chief Judge Joe Dickinson of the 9th Judicial District, composed of Harvey and McPherson counties
   

• Senior Judge James Fleetwood, Wichita
   

• District Judge Neil Foth, who serves in the 10th Judicial District, which is Johnson County
   

• District Magistrate Judge Kenton Gleason, who serves in Hodgeman County of the 24th Judicial District
   

• Marcia Hannon, Kansas Supreme Court Law Library, Topeka
   

• Kristi Hill, clerk of the district court in the 29th Judicial District, which is Wyandotte County
   

• Christie Koehn, chief court services officer of the 6th Judicial District, composed of Miami, Linn, and Bourbon counties
   

• Sara Rust-Martin, Kansas Coalition Against Sexual And Domestic Violence, Topeka
   

• Meredith Snepp, Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library, Topeka
   

• District Magistrate Judge Ronald Sylvester, who serves in Kingman County of the 30th Judicial District
   

• Amanda Truan, district court administrator of the 23rd Judicial District, composed of Ellis, Gove, Rooks, and Trego counties
   

• Judge Sarah Warner, Kansas Court of Appeals
   

• Penny Wells, clerk of the Comanche County District Court in the 16th Judicial District
   

• Ruth Wheeler, district court administrator of the 5th Judicial District, composed of Chase and Lyon counties