TOPEKA—Patrick B. Hughes, a Wichita attorney, has been named to a five-year term on the Kansas Board of Law Examiners by the Kansas Supreme Court.
He will succeed Kevin F. Mitchelson, whose term expires June 30.
Hughes will serve July 1 through June 30, 2022. He is an attorney with Adams Jones Law Firm PA of Wichita. He earned a law degree in 1994 from Washburn University in Topeka.
Hughes was a research attorney for then-Judge Edward Larson of the Kansas Court of Appeals and then for Justice Larson after he was appointed to the Kansas Supreme Court, from 1994 to 1996. He was a law clerk for Judge Mary Beck-Briscoe of the U.S. 10th Circuit Court of Appeals from 1996 to 1997. He joined Adams Jones in 1997.
Kansas Supreme Court Chief Justice Lawton R. Nuss, in making the appointment, said Hughes was highly regarded for his work as a research attorney for the courts and a published legal author.
“We look forward to his applying his knowledge and skills to this important board,” Nuss said.
Mitchelson, of Pittsburg, has served on the Board of Law Examiners since July 2005 and has been chair since July 2015. He also served two years as vice chair, from 2013 to 2015. He has served on the board for the maximum time allowed by term-limit provisions.
Mitchelson is an attorney with Wheeler and Mitchelson Chartered of Pittsburg. He earned a law degree in 1982 from the University of Kansas and worked for Stinson, Mag & Fizzell of Kansas City, Mo. He then joined his father and brother at Wheeler and Mitchelson in Pittsburg.
Mitchelson served as counselor for the Crawford County Board of Commissioners from 1900 to 1995 and was a member of the Kansas Highway Advisory Commission from 2000 to 2006, serving as chairman the first five years.
Nuss said in addition to Mitchelson’s demonstrated leadership skills, he had been one of the top scholars in their law school class.
“I remain grateful Kevin brought his considerable legal knowledge and 30-plus years' experience as a lawyer to the Board of Law Examiners,” he said.
Nuss also reappointed Christina Lewerenz Holland of Kansas City, Mo., to a five-year term and designated her as vice chair of the board. The chief justice also designated Donald N. Peterson II of Wichita as chair. Peterson has been serving the past year as vice chair.
Peterson, who has been a member of the board since July 2009, is an attorney with Graybill & Hazlewood LLC of Wichita. After earning a law degree in 1988 from the University of Kansas, he worked for two years as a research attorney for the Kansas Court of Appeals. In 1990, he began private practice with the Kahrs Nelson firm in Wichita and was a partner in that firm from 1994 to 1999. He was a partner at Withers, Gough, Pike, Pfaff & Peterson LLC from 2000 to 2016. He joined Graybill & Hazlewood in 2016. Peterson was chair of the Wichita Bar Association Continuing Education Committee for three years and has been on the committee for 15 years.
Holland has served on the Board of Law Examiners since July 2011. She is senior attorney for the Internal Revenue Service’s Office of Chief Counsel in Kansas City, Mo. Holland earned a law degree in 2000 from the University of Kansas. She was a research attorney for the Kansas Court of Appeals and for then-Appeals Court Judge Lee Johnson, now a Kansas Supreme Court justice, from 2000 to 2002. She was an attorney with Shook, Hardy & Bacon LLP of Kansas City, Mo., from 2002 to 2009.
The 10-member Kansas Board of Law Examiners is composed of judges and lawyers. It manages and grades a twice-yearly bar examination and conducts hearings on applicants’ character and fitness to practice law. It also makes recommendations to the Kansas Supreme Court on policies and procedures related to bar admission.
Other members of the board are David R. Cooper of Topeka; Kansas Court of Appeals Judge Henry W. Green Jr., of Leavenworth; Laura L. Ice of Wichita; Peter S. Johnston of Salina; Carol M. Park of Hays; Larkin E. Walsh of Kansas City, Mo.; and Molly M. Wood of Lawrence.