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Topeka Bar Association Awards

The Topeka Bar Association recognizes outstanding service by members of the bench and bar each year through the following awards.  

Click HERE for the 2024 Nominations Form. 

Click HERE for the 2024 Liberty Bell Award Nomination Form. 

Warren W. Shaw Distinguished Service Award

This award recognizes a lawyer or judge for exemplary service to the legal profession or the Topeka Bar Association. 
It may be awarded to recognize an especially meritorious deed for service which significantly advances the 
administration of justice, the goals of the legal profession or brings honor and recognition to the Topeka Bar 
Association or may be awarded to recognize the continuous long-standing service of a recipient to the legal 
profession or the Topeka Bar Association.

Warren W. Shaw Distinguished Service Award recipients include:

1995 Hon. E. Newton Vickers
1996 Retired Chief Justice David Prager
1997 Carl W. Quarnstrom
1998 Gerald L. Goodell
1999 Elwaine F. Pomeroy
2000 Judge Sam A. Crow 
2001 Robert E. Tilton
2002 Wayne T. Stratton
2003
 Thomas E Wright
2004 Edward L. Bailey
2005 Arthur Palmer 
2006 Judge Terry L. Bullock 
2007 Judge Richard Rogers
2008 Chief Justice Kay McFarland 

2009 Donald Patterson 
2010 Eldon Sloan
2011 Susan Krehbiel William
2012 Pedro L. Irigonegaray
2013 James C. Wright
2014 Hon. Marla J. Luckert
2015 Hon. Christel Marquardt
2016 Hon. Karen Arnold-Burger
2017 H. Philip Elwood
2018 Alan F. Alderson
2019 John J. Francis
2020 James "Jeb" Benfer
2021 Hon. C. William Ossmann

2022 Arthur Glassman

2023 Hon. Nancy Parrish


Honorable E. Newton Vickers Professionalism Award

This award recognizes a member of the Topeka Bar Association who, by his or her conduct, honesty, integrity 
and courtesy, best exemplify, represent and encourage other lawyers to follow the highest standards of the legal 
profession, including those contained in the Topeka Bar Association Creed of Professional Courtesy.

Honorable E. Newton Vickers Professionalism Award Recipients include:

2000 Stephen W. Cavanaugh
2001 Alan F. Alderson
2002 Terry E. Beck
2003 Honorable David Knudson
2004 Honorable Marla J. Luckert
2005 Ruth E. Graham 
2006 Carol Gilliam Green
2007 Louis F. Eisenbarth 
2008 J. Steven Pigg
2009 Richard F. Hayse
2010 Honorable Nancy Parrish

2011 Judy Olander

2012 Tom Lemon
2013 Natalie Haag
2014 Doug Shima
2015 Hon. Teresa L. Watson
2016 Hon. Evelyn Z. Wilson
2017 Hon. Cheryl Rios
2018 Mary D. Feighny
2019 Anthony Mattivi
2020 Robert "Bob" Alderson
2021 Justice Carol A. Beier

2022 Danielle Hall

2023 Hon. Eric Rosen


Outstanding Young Lawyer Award

This award recognizes the outstanding efforts of a Young Lawyer member of the Topeka Bar Association who has 
rendered meritorious service to the legal profession, the community, or the Topeka Bar Association. 

Outstanding Young Lawyer Award recipients include:

1995 Darin M. Conklin
1996 Jeffrey A. Wietharn
1997 Douglas Shima
1998 Teresa L. Sittenauer
1999 Christina Collins
2000 Anne M. Kindling
2001 Leslie M. Miller
2002 Melissa Wangemann
2003
 Chelsey Langland
2004 Jared S. Maag
2005 Michelle L. Miller
2006 Amanda Kiefer
2007 Jason 'Jake' Fisher
2008 Matthew Bergmann
2009 Scott A. Grosskreutz

2010 Justin Ferrell
2011 Vincent Cox
2012 Diane L. Bellquist
2013 Luke Sinclair
2014 Maren Ludwig
2015 Dustin Crook
2016 Sarah Morse
2017 Andrew Mayo
2018 Lisa Brown
2019 John Paul Washburn
2020 Mary Kuckelman
2021 Ryan Brungardt

2022 Jake Holly

2023 Keegan McElroy


Past President's Award

Each President of the Topeka Bar Association is recognized at the annual meeting of the TBA and awarded with 
a plaque for their service on the TBA Board of Directors after they have finished their term as president.

Past Presidents include:

1905-06 R.B. Welch
1906-08 Capt. Joseph G. Waters
1909-10 J.B. Larimer
1910-14 Capt. Joseph G. Waters
1915-17 Hon. Z.T. Hazen
1918-19 Charles Blood Smith
1919-20 Leonard S. Ferry
1920-21 Hon. Otis F. Hungate
1922-23 Thomas F. Doran
1923-24 Col. A.M. Harvey
1924-25 Thomas M. Lillard
1925-26 Robert Stone
1926-27 Hon. James A. McClure
1927-28 W.E. Atchinson
1928-29 David E. Palmer
1929-30 John J. Schenck
1930-31 Col. Clad Hamilton
1931-32 Hugh McFarland
1932-33 Bennett R. Wheeler
1934-35 Edwin A. Austin
1935-36 W.R. Hazen
1936-37 Thomas Amory Lee
1937-38 Hon. George A. Kline
1938-39 Robert L. Webb
1939-40 Walter T. Chaney
1940-41Hon. Paul H. Heinz
1941-42 Tinkham Veale
1942-43 John E. DuMars
1943-44 O.B. Eidson
1944-45 Randal C. Harvey
1945-46 Hon. Dean McElhenny
1946-47 Byron M. Gray
1947-48 M.F. Cosgrove
1948-49 Ralph W. Oman
1949-50 James E. Smith
1950-51 Lester M. Goodell
1951-52 Frank E. Miller
1952-53 John S. Dean, Jr.
1953-54 Howard A. Jones
1954-55 Phil H. Lewis
1955-56 Robert E. Russell
1956-57 A. Harry Crane
1957-58 Barton E. Griffith
1958-59 Warren W. Shaw
1959-60 Clayton E. Kline
1960-61 Hon. Beryl R. Johnson
1961-62 Marlin S. Casey
1962-63 Harry W. Colmery
1963-64 Clayton M. Davis
1964-65 Hall Smith
1965-66 Allen Meyers
1966-67 Ward Martin
1967-68 John W. Lewis
1968-69 Herbert Marshall

1969-70 Mark L. Bennett, Sr.
1970-71 Erle W. Francis
1971-72 James W. Porter
1972-73 William B. McElhenny
1973-74 Robert R. Irwin
1974-75 Donald Patterson
1975-76 Charles S. Fisher, Jr.
1976-77 Louis R. Eisenbarth
1977-78 Hon. Michael A. Barbara
1978-79 Floyd E. Gehrt
1979-80 David H. Fisher
1989-81 James Waugh
1981-82 Glenn D. Cogswell
1982-83 Myron L. Listrom
1983-84 E. Gene McKinney
1984-85 Wayne T. Stratton
1985-86 Carl W. Quarnstrom
1986-87 Linda D. Elrod
1987-88 Arthur E. Palmer
1988-89 Frank M. Rice
1989-90 James Grimes
1990-91 Hon. E. Newton Vickers
1991-92 Ralph E. Skoog
1992-93 Gerald J. Letourneau
1993-94 Robert E. Tilton
1994-95 Ruth E. Graham
1995-96 Alan F. Alderson
1996-97 Charles N. Henson
1997-98 Stephen W. Cavanaugh
1998-99 Hon. Marla J. Luckert
1999-00 Arthur A. Glassman
2000-01 Gerald L. Goodell
2001-02 Edward L. Bailey
2002-03 Daniel W. Crow
2003-04 James C. Wright
2004-05 Hon. Evelyn Z. Wilson
2005-06 Daniel J. Gronniger
2006-07 Patrick Salsbury
2007-08 Teresa Watson
2008-09 Douglas T. Shima
2009-10 Terry E. Beck
2010-11 James W. Parrish
2011-12 Ardith Smith-Woertz
2013-14 H. Philip Elwood
2014-15 Amanda Kiefer
2015-16 James P. Rankin
2016-17 Laura Graham
2017-18 Glenda L. Cafer
2018-19 Diane Bellquist
2019-20 Vincent Cox
2020-21 Robert "Bob" Alderson 
2020-21 James McEntire

2021-22 Sarah Morse

2022-23 Greg Lee


Liberty Bell Award

The purpose of the Liberty Bell Award program is to recognize community service that has strengthened the 
American system of freedom under the law. Any individual who has rendered outstanding service to his/her. 
community may be considered eligible. While all fields of endeavor are intended for inclusion, the award's purpose.
is to accord public recognition to men and women, particularly non-lawyers, for outstanding service in one or more. 
of these areas:

  • Promoting a better understanding of our Constitution and the Bill of Rights;
  • Encouraging greater respect for law and the courts;
  • Stimulating a deeper sense of individual responsibility so that citizens recognize their duties as well as their rights;
  • Contributing to the effective functioning of our institutions of governments; and
  • Fostering a better understanding and appreciation of the rule of law.
Liberty Bell Award recipients include:

1994 Gerald R. Beavers, Topeka Police Chief

1995 The Brown Foundation1996 Kids Voting Kansas

1997 Dawna Edmonds, Seaman High School teacher for mock trials in the Advanced Placement Govt. class

1998 Ron Keefover

1999 Topeka Police Department Citizens Academy2000 William E. Richards, Sr.

2001 CASA of Shawnee County

2002 Judge G. Joseph Pierron

2003 Battered Women's Task Force

2004 Shawnee County Youth Court

2005 Washburn Law Clinic

2006 "We the People...The Citizen and the Constitution" a program of the Kansas State Dept. of Education

2007 Judge Patrick McAnany 2008 KBA Young Lawyers Section Mock Trial Competition

2009 Horizons Solutions for Change

2010 Don Troth - Court Administrator

2011 Elizabeth Ensley Shawnee County Election Commissioner

2012 Connie Sanchez and the YMCA Safe Visit Program

2013 Ronald Wurtz, Retired Federal Public Defender

2014 Judge G. Joseph Pierron

2015 Kansas' Informed Voter, Fair Judges' Project Committee - A Project of the National Association of Women Judges

2016 Patrick M. Salsbury

2017 City of Topeka Clean Slate Project - Hon. Jason E. Geier, Monique Glaude, Topeka Department of Neighborhood Relations,  Cook & Associates and Charles Kitt with City of Topeka Prosecution Office

2018 Kansas CLE Commission

2019 Topeka Bar Association's Expungement Day Project Committee

2020 Shawnee County District Drug Court
2021 Lea Dawn Welch, 3rd Judicial District Court Administrator

2022 Topeka Center for Peace and Justice

2023 Joyce Grover, JD, former Executive Director for KCSDV



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