(June 10, 2003) Topeka, KS—The Kansas Bar Association (KBA) recently recognized Hon. Deanell Reece Tacha, Lawrence, as the 2003 recipient of the Distinguished Service Award. Judge Tacha was honored at an awards luncheon on June 9 in Wichita.
A native of Scandia, Kan., Judge Tacha received her B.A. in American Studies from the University of Kansas and her J.D. from the University of Michigan. Named a White House Fellow in 1971, she was assigned as special assistant to Secretary of Labor James D. Hodgson. At the conclusion of her fellowship, she joined the law firm of Hogan and Hartson as an associate in Washington, D.C., before returning to Kansas. She joined the University of Kansas School of Law faculty in 1974 and became the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs in 1981. She was appointed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit by President Reagan in 1985 and became Chief Judge of the Tenth Circuit in 2001.
The Distinguished Service Award recognizes an individual for continuous longstanding service on behalf of the legal profession or the public, rather than the successful accomplishment of a single task or service.
About the Kansas Bar Association
The Kansas Bar Association was founded in 1882 as a voluntary association for dedicated legal professionals
and has approximately 6,200 members, including lawyers,
judges, law students, and legal assistants. The KBA is dedicated
to advancing the professionalism and legal skills of lawyers,
promoting the interests of the legal profession, providing
services to its members, advocating positions on law-related
issues, encouraging public understanding of the law, and
promoting the effective administration of our system of
justice.
-30-
