Two KU Law graduates are first to complete LEAD program


Photo by Ashley Golledge.

When Nate Crosser and Samantha Wagner signed up for the LEAD program as 18-year-olds, they were on a fast track to law school. Now, six years later, they are law school graduates and the first two students to complete the program.

“I’ve enjoyed being part of the LEAD program,” Wagner said. “It’s been a really positive experience, but it’s also been kind of a whirlwind experience.”

LEAD (Legal Education Accelerated Degree) is a program that gives students a unique opportunity to earn both a B.A. and a J.D. degree in six years, instead of seven.

The LEAD program started in 2013. The University of Kansas School of Law and the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences collaborated on the degree track to provide an opportunity for high-ability students to maximize their coursework at KU.

Samantha Wagner, L’18, enjoys graduation festivities on May 19, 2019. Photo by Earl Richardson Photography.

The size of the program has grown over time. Over 100 KU students are currently enrolled in the LEAD program. The program is offered at both the University of Kansas and Kansas State University.

Wagner recommends the program to students with an interest in the law.

“If you have any interest in law, then there’s really no down side to it,” she said. “If you know you want to go to law school, then you’re ready to go.”

For students considering the LEAD program, Crosser recommends finding your intellectual passions.

“Find areas that you’re really interested in and learn a lot about them,” he said. “Once you get to law school, it’ll be helpful if you have some kind of background in other areas. It’ll also help you decide what to do with your future.”

As a KU LEADer, students have opportunities to connect with KU Law professors and students prior to law school. They are also given career preparation through specialized law-related educational activities and internship opportunities.

Crosser said the most valuable aspect of the program for him has been the relationship building.  LEAD Program Director and Professor Lumen Mulligan recommended Crosser for a program with the Kansas City University Venture Fund, where he was able to complete extensive training on venture capital and private equity business models and operations.

“I wouldn’t have even known about the program if I didn’t have a relationship with Professor Mulligan, where we talk about my career interests,” Crosser said. “He recommended this program to me. That’s changed my trajectory and what I want to do.”

Nate Crosser, L’19, is hooded at KU Law’s graduation ceremony on May 18, 2019. Photo by Earl Richardson Photography.

Crosser plans to practice transactional law at Dentons law firm in Kansas City, Missouri upon his completion of the bar exam this summer. The Lenexa native earned an undergraduate degree in economics from KU in 2016 and a J.D. from KU Law in May 2019.

While at KU, Crosser was an Associate Editor for the Kansas Law Review and a member of Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society. He served on the University Student Senate as a Post-Graduate Senator and on the Student Board of Directors for KU’s Legal Services for Students. He also founded KU Legal Hackers, an organization that explores the pressing issues at the intersection of law and technology.

During her time at KU Law, Wagner was a student ambassador. She was also a judicial intern at the Shawnee County District Court, an intern at the Paul E. Wilson Project for Innocence and a legal intern at Joseph, Hollander & Craft law firm.

After graduating in December 2018, she joined the firm of Joseph, Hollander & Craft in Topeka. She works as an attorney in the firm’s domestic department. She is originally from Paola, Kansas. She earned undergraduate degrees in American Studies and religious studies from KU.

— By Ashley Golledge

6th Semester in D.C. externship leads to full-time job on Capitol Hill

Wesley Williams, L’19, is pictured on the Speaker’s Balcony in Washington, D.C.

Growing up in rural Kansas, I was able to gain a variety of agricultural experiences. My family hayed most of our five acres, raised chickens and sold their eggs, and on the rare occasion, helped our neighbors wrangle their cows back onto their property or help with calving. Despite not being a natural farmer, I have always maintained a great respect for those who work in the agricultural industry and I greatly value what they contribute to our society.

This past semester, I was able to participate in KU Law’s 6th Semester in D.C. Program, led by Professor Jennifer Schmidt. The 6th Semester Program allowed me to spend my final semester of law school living, studying and working in our Nation’s Capital. It is a program that led me to apply to KU Law and ending up in Washington was always my end goal. I knew that I wanted to work in policy, preferably somewhere in Congress, and wanted it to be something I truly cared about. So, when I was offered an internship with the United States Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, I did not hesitate to jump at the chance to work on ag-policy.

Wesley Williams, L’19, takes a picture in front of the White House in Washington, D.C.

Since Congress passed the 2018 Farm Bill in December, much of my work was focused on the implementation process for the Farm Bill. I also worked on agriculture appropriation issues, trade, and reauthorizations of pesticide registration and child nutrition. I was able to apply what I had learned from classes, such as Professor Schmidt’s Legislative Simulation and Study, Professor Quinton Lucas’s Administrative Law, and Professor John Head’s Global Challenges in Law, Agriculture, Development, and Ecology. I even drafted a policy paper on state production processes of hemp under the Farm Bill’s provisions, which has helped me land a job in the public policy sector starting this August.

While I came into the semester equipped with the tools needed to achieve success on the Hill, I learned that there is much more to the real world than what law school teaches. These lessons can be boiled down to three points. First, there is no substitute for experience. There were several instances where I had to stop my research just to look up what a certain acronym meant or what a base acre was. Although there were several staff members who did not have law degrees and some who had minimal agricultural experience, they were able to handle these complex issues easily because they have been working on them for years. Being in the trenches of the legislative process will teach you the nuances of the law that you just won’t get from a casebook. 

Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley met with KU Law Professor Jennifer Schmidt and 6th Semester in D.C. students in February. Before coming to KU Law, Schmidt worked as senior counsel for Sen. Grassley.

Second, bipartisanship is not dead! It seems like in today’s political atmosphere we only hear about the instances that are highly partisan are political hot potatoes. But if you get the chance to work in Congress you will quickly see that there are many issues that unite both parties and bring all members together. This is most evident with the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry. Chairman Pat Roberts (R-KS) and Ranking Member Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) have a close working relationship. They are friends who work together to ensure that farmers, ranchers and those impacted by agriculture get the support they need. While there are some issues that can still divide members on the committee, agriculture is the one area that perhaps unifies Congress more than any other.

Finally, agriculture is much more than just going out and planting corn or milking a cow. Agriculture touches on a variety of issues that impact Americans. These issues include infrastructure for rural broadband, disaster relief for areas impacted by floods, fires, or hurricanes, the development of alternative sources of energy, and many more topics. Agriculture is a demanding sector that requires a wide range of subject-matter experts to help develop the best policies. Just because you may not have experience on farm doesn’t mean that you can’t help American farms or rural communities.

My time spent in Washington was incredible. I made new friends and learned many important lessons on how to survive in the working world. The 6th Semester Program has helped me bridge the gap between student and professional, and I have no doubt that I will be able to take what I’ve learned at KU and become a successful Jayhawk lawyer.

— By Wesley Williams, L’19

Starting in August 2019, Williams will be a policy analyst for the Republican Governors Association in Washington, D.C.

John Peck will retire after 41 years at KU Law

Photo courtesy of Kenneth Spencer Research Library, University of Kansas Libraries.

What does Professor John Peck enjoy about teaching law?

“Almost everything,” he said.

“I get to be with smart, challenging young people and wonderful colleagues. I have the freedom to conduct legal research and writing on any issue I’m interested in. I’ve been afforded many opportunities to travel both in the U.S. and to foreign countries.”

John Peck
Law professor John Peck will retire this summer after 41 years on the faculty at KU Law.

Peck, L’74, will retire this summer, after 41 years on the faculty at KU Law. He teaches courses on contracts, water law, land transactions and family law.

A native Kansan, Peck graduated from Kansas State University in 1968 with a degree in civil engineering. After working three years for the U.S. Public Health Service and the Environmental Protection Agency in Washington, D.C., he earned his law degree at KU in 1974. He practiced law with Everett, Seaton & Peck in Manhattan, Kansas, from 1974 to 1978 before joining the KU Law faculty in 1978.

Peck hadn’t planned to teach – he wanted to practice. But when then-dean Martin Dickinson gave Peck a surprise call asking him to join the faculty, Peck said yes.

“I had no plans to go into teaching either before or after graduating from law school in 1974,” Peck said. “After much thought and discussion with family and friends, I accepted the offer. It’s one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.”

A highly regarded teacher, Peck asks his students to be self-reliant. He encourages them to brief their own cases, write their own outlines, and “ask themselves first, before asking others.” He also stresses the importance of professional and personal ethics.

“To study, learn and practice law is a struggle requiring much self-reliance and self-discipline,” Peck said.

His dedication to students hasn’t gone unnoticed. Peck received both the Immel Award for Teaching Excellence and the Dean Frederick J. Moreau Award in 1998. KU Law students give the Moreau award to a professor who has made an impact on their lives.

John Peck is pictured in 2016 with attendees of a water management conference hosted by the law school. Photo courtesy of John Peck.

Peck was named a Connell Teaching Professor of Law in 1999, and received the university’s W.T. Kemper Fellowship for Teaching Excellence in 2004. In 2018, the trustees of the Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation awarded him the Clyde O. Martz Teaching Award. 

In addition to teaching, Peck works as special counsel to Foulston Siefkin LLP in Wichita and is a recognized authority on Kansas water law. He’s contributed to the field by authoring statutory changes on water law since the 1970s. And he’s taught the subject to Kansas students, legislators, governors, judges and practitioners.

“The legal consulting and practice I’ve done in Kansas have helped keep me abreast of current legal issues, and those experiences have provided examples for class discussion and questions for me to pursue in law review articles,” Peck said.

John Peck, left, is pictured with former KU Law professor Raymond Goetz. Photo courtesy of John Peck.

In 2016, KU Law honored Peck with the Distinguished Alumni Award, the school’s highest honor. The award celebrates graduates for their professional achievements, contributions to the legal field and service to their communities and the university.

He’s also received the James Woods Green Medallion. Named after the law school’s first dean, the medallion recognizes the school’s major financial supporters. Peck said he gives to both KU Law and the Kansas State College of Engineering.

“Those are the places that have taught me how to practice law and teach law students,” he said. “I owe everything in my professional life to my education, elementary through law school. I’ve had excellent teachers along the way. One reason I returned to the law school was the respect I had for the faculty who taught me here.”

After teaching his final class of contracts at KU Law this summer, Peck is looking forward to continuing the practice of law, as well as auditing college classes and participating in CLE programs. He’ll also pursue hobbies including reading, golfing, playing piano and doing volunteer service work.

— By Margaret Hair

The right place at the right time

Zachary Kelsay networks at KU Law’s annual Diversity in Law Banquet on February 22, 2019. Photo by Earl Richardson Photography.

I just finished my first year of law school, and it was everything that I didn’t think it would be. 

Ever since I was a little kid, I have wanted to be a lawyer. When my mom would read stories to me before bed, I remember there was a book all about people who work (construction workers, teachers, doctors, etc.). However, like most kids for no rational reason, I only wanted my mom to read one page: the one with the people in suits carrying briefcases and talking to a jury. Ever since I was a little kid (except for 3rd grade when I was going to become an astronaut), I have wanted to be a lawyer.

When I was a senior in high school and I was looking for schools to get my undergraduate degree, I chose KU because of one thing: the LEAD program. The LEAD program allows students to “double dip” their undergrad elective credits with their first year of law classes to get a Bachelor’s degree and a Juris Doctor in 6 years. Though getting a Bachelor’s degree in 3 years was definitely challenging, it was nothing compared to the intimidation of being a 20-year-old in a law classroom where the professor calls on you regardless of whether or not you raised your hand. 

Sometimes, it is difficult to talk to other classmates when they have had such a wealth of life experiences to draw from. During my first few weeks of classes, I thought that people wouldn’t take me seriously because I was so young. However, I had quite the opposite experience: when my classmates heard how young I was and about the LEAD program, nearly every single one said something like “wow, I wish I had done that,” “what a fantastic idea,” or “that must have saved you a lot of time and money.” Though I am younger than most of my peers, Green Hall is a very supportive environment where people of many different experiences contribute to the school’s character.

Zachary Kelsay attends KU Law’s homecoming tailgate party on September 29, 2018. Photo by Earl Richardson Photography.

My two points of advice for students thinking about doing the LEAD program or to anyone starting law school are:

1. Take it seriously and do the work. Law professors expect way more out of you than your undergraduate professors. One of the hardest things for law students is that everyone did well in their undergraduate studies and might not have made many mistakes or received bad grades before. There were multiple times this year when I rushed through a reading, misunderstood a case or did poorly on a test. In fact, I made more mistakes this year than any year of my life… and it doesn’t stop. One of the most challenging things for me was to slow down and do a thorough job on every task I had. Though you will likely make mistakes, get comfortable with not knowing everything or being able to zip through a class like you could in undergrad.

2. Keep a YAC mindset. YAC stands for “You Are Capable.” This mindset is adapted from a speech by Chief Judge Julie Robinson that I heard at KU Law’s annual Diversity in Law Banquet. There are many situations where you might feel like you aren’t smart enough to make it in law school. The secret that people don’t know their first few weeks of law school is that almost everyone doubts themselves at one point or another. When I start to doubt myself, I try to say “You Are Capable” to myself a few times. I am capable of making it, and so are you. 

This week, all of my friends from undergrad are graduating and I just finished my first year of law school. This year was incredibly challenging, but I wouldn’t do it any other way. It’s safe to say that after my first year in law school, and now my first week of work at a law firm, I have not seen the inside of a courtroom and I definitely don’t talk to juries or carry a briefcase. But, I know now more than ever that the law is where I belong.

— Zachary Kelsay, a rising 2L

KU Law banner carrier graduates with a J.D. and a Ph.D.

KU Law banner carrier Michael Hayes graduated with both a J.D. and a Ph.D. Photo by Earl Richardson Photography.

Michael Hayes graduated from the University of Kansas with not one, but two, doctoral degrees this past weekend.

He earned a Juris Doctorate (J.D.) from the University of Kansas School of Law and a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) from KU’s Department of Philosophy.

At the University Commencement ceremony on May 19, Hayes was the banner carrier for KU Law. Hayes was selected by the law faculty for this honor because of his exemplification of student excellence.

“It’s a great honor to carry the banner at graduation. I was excited to have that opportunity,” Hayes said. “After seven years in graduate school, I was ready to walk down that hill.”

At KU Law, Hayes served as the Executive Note & Comment Editor for the Kansas Law Review and as president of the St. Thomas More Society. Outside of the classroom, he was a summer law clerk at Shook, Hardy & Bacon LLP in both 2017 and 2018, and has served as a legal intern at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Kansas City, Kansas since last August.

Hayes is originally from Pittsburg, Kansas. He earned an undergraduate degree in philosophy from the University of Dallas in 2012.

Hayes fell in love with reading, writing and analyzing arguments during his college years, which jump-started his decision to pursue a Ph.D. in philosophy. Four years into KU’s Philosophy Ph.D. program, he added law to his studies.

“I knew that the job prospects were hard to come by in academic philosophy, and that in all likelihood I would ultimately need to seek non-academic employment,” Hayes said. “I wanted to find a job where I could continue to do what I love — reading, writing, and analyzing arguments — and law seemed like the most obvious option.”

Recently, Hayes successfully defended his dissertation, “Thomistic Approaches to Welfare Theory.”

“I argue that the thought of Thomas Aquinas can provide a richer understanding of what’s good for us than many of the other theories that are popular today,” Hayes explained. “I thought that our conversation about human well-being would be enriched by a better understanding of what philosophers like Thomas Aquinas say on the matter.”

By studying both law and philosophy, Hayes has earned a well-rounded education.

“By studying law, I’ve gained a certain amount of practical knowledge,” Hayes said. “By studying philosophy, I’ve gained a certain amount of theoretical knowledge.”

Michael and Erin Hayes are pictured with their three daughters.

Hayes said the biggest challenge about pursuing a J.D. and Ph.D. concurrently was maintaining balance. Luckily, he had a great support system at home supporting his academic endeavors.

“Between taking law classes, working at legal internships, teaching philosophy classes and writing a dissertation, things can get pretty busy,” Hayes said. “My family has been a huge help in that respect — when you’ve got a loving wife and three adorable kiddos to come home to, it’s hard to stay focused on school all day. And that’s a good thing,” Hayes said.

Hayes hopes to use the experience and knowledge he’s gained from studying both law and philosophy to launch his career.

“I’ve been able to use the skills and knowledge that I’ve gained by studying philosophy throughout law school, and I hope to continue to use it in my legal career,” Hayes said.

After graduation, Michael will be doing a one-year judicial clerkship for Judge Steven Grasz on the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals in Omaha. Once his clerkship is complete, he plans on practicing civil litigation for a firm in Kansas City, Missouri.

— By Ashley Golledge

The best parts of law school, according to a departing 3L

I struggled mightily with what to write for this blog. How do I encapsulate three years of blood, sweat, caffeine and tears in 700(ish) words? I decided that the only way to this would be a personal favorite blog method of mine: power rankings. So without further ado, welcome to the KU Law Class of 2019 Years-In-Review Power Rankings (working title). The rankings will be in reverse order because I firmly believe in the principle of saving the best for last.

5. Bluebook Relays: The Bluebook Relays were a phenomenal time. The idea is brilliant: how can we take a bunch of uber-competitive, fresh-faced 1Ls and bring out the best in them? Answer: make them put on costumes and then put them in a pressure cooker until one group scrapes by with decent enough Bluebook citations to be declared the winner. Our class was incredibly creative (shout out Ken Bone) and ultimately a winner was declared, but at the end of the Relays, we had officially become classmates. We all won that day.

4. TGITs (R.I.P.): For many of us, walking into Green Hall for those first couple of weeks was a terrifying experience. Knowing very few people and having to make connections on the fly while also learning how to be law students was a tricky experience. Luckily for our class, we were given a respite from the stress and anxiety each Thursday evening at a local watering hole. Those TGITs are where many of us really met our fellow classmates as well as upperclassmen for the first time and gave us an opportunity to blow off some steam with our friends and colleagues who understood the stress that we all were facing on a daily basis. Those TGITs are wonderful memories for many of us and hopefully in the future other classes will have the opportunity to revive the long-standing KU Law tradition. Rest easy TGITs, you will always be remembered fondly.

3. Finishing 1L Year: Oh, what a magnificent feeling. After months of stress, anxiety and feeling like there was no end in sight, the light at the end of the 1L tunnel appeared and after that last final was complete and turned in for better or worse, we had done it. One year in the books. Though only a third of the way to graduation, it felt as if we had finished a marathon. I will only speak for myself, but there was no keeping the jubilation at bay that day. For the first time in a while, it felt like this whole law school thing was achievable. Two years later that feeling of relief, joy and a fair bit of caffeine withdrawal, still stands out.

2. Last Hurrahs for Professors: I feel that our class was incredibly fortunate in the timing of our entry into law school as we were able to participate in a few long-term professors’ final classes at KU Law. While all of our professors have been incredible teachers, colleagues, counselors and even friends, I want to give special recognition to three professors that gave their final acts of enthusiasm, energy and expertise to us and graced us with their teaching. Professors William Westerbeke, Webb Hecker and Phillip DeLaTorre, you were excellent ambassadors for the law school, unbelievable professors of the law and true giants of your craft. We were blessed to have learned from you and all three of you deserve every ounce of joy and happiness you have enjoyed or will enjoy after you move on from KU Law. Thank you for your service and dedication, all of KU Law throughout the years is grateful for the time you chose to spend with us in Lawrence.

1. Graduation (prospectively): I’m cheating on this one because it hasn’t happened yet, but obviously graduation is what this has all been about. Though in the darkest times it may have seemed like this rollercoaster ride would never end, we are mere days from exiting Green Hall for good and going forth as graduates. It has been fun, it has been occasionally not fun and it has been a whirlwind of emotions for all of us. But we did it, we are about to cross the finish line, and though this feels like the end of a long story, it is just the end of a chapter. We will all go forward and continue to write our individual stories, but for three years, we shared in the same tale. I want to thank all of the Class of 2019 for the memories and experiences. I wish every one of you nothing but the best in the future.

—  Aaron Holmes is a 3L from Hutchinson and a KU Law Student Ambassador.