University of Kansas School of Law honors Court of Appeals chief judge

TOPEKA—The University of Kansas School of Law honored Chief Judge Karen Arnold-Burger of the Kansas Court of Appeals with its 2018 Distinguished Alumni Award.

The law school recognized Arnold-Burger and two other recipients April 7 in Lawrence.

The award celebrates graduates for their professional achievements, contributions to the legal field, and service to their communities and the university.

"I feel so lucky and proud every day to be a Kansas lawyer and a Jayhawk," Arnold-Burger told the gathering. "I live each day feeling a responsibility to not let my alma mater, my profession, or the citizens of Kansas down. So to be honored by the university that gave me so much is very humbling and a highlight of my career."

Arnold-Burger worked as a prosecutor and assistant U.S. attorney for the District of Kansas, then as municipal judge for the city of Overland Park. Gov. Mark Parkinson appointed her to the Kansas Court of Appeals in 2011, and Chief Justice Lawton Nuss named her chief judge in 2017.

The Kansas Bar Association gave her its Distinguished Service Award in 2016.

Arnold-Burger earned bachelor’s degrees in political science, psychology, and personnel administration in 1978 from the University of Kansas and a law degree in 1982 from the University of Kansas School of Law.