The Kansas Farm Bureau (KFB) Legal Foundation has named three new attorneys as recipients of the organization’s first Rural Law Practice Grants.

Kate Langworthy, Mary McMullen and Luke Sunderland are eligible to receive up to $16,500 each to help defray the cost of their education as they begin practicing law in rural areas of Kansas.

“Kansas farmers and ranchers need sound legal advice across a broad range of issues, especially as operations expand and become more complex,” Wendee Grady, Kansas Farm Bureau Legal Foundation director, says. “I’m excited KFB’s Legal Foundation is helping three new attorneys begin their careers in private and public roles that impact the quality of life for farmers, ranchers and rural Kansans.”

Langworthy received her juris doctor from Washburn University and is a staff attorney at the Kansas Department of Agriculture. McMullen, a University of Kansas Law School graduate, is an assistant county attorney in Leavenworth County. Sunderland, also a KU Law graduate, is in private practice in his hometown of Sabetha.  

The KFB Legal Foundation board selects up to three recipients each year from law students in the fall semester before their anticipated graduation date. The selection process favors applicants who demonstrate a strong desire to live and work in rural Kansas, understand the legal issues farmers and ranchers commonly face, have high academic achievements and show a financial need. Rural Kansas is defined as anywhere outside Douglas, Johnson, Sedgwick, Shawnee or Wyandotte counties.

Recipients receive the grant money in three installments, with the first $5,500 paid after passing the bar examination and starting practice in rural Kansas. The remaining installments will be paid after a recipient’s continued practice in rural Kansas for one and two years, respectively.

KFB’s Legal Foundation is accepting applications for the next round of grants through Nov. 1. Applicants must complete the application and submit it with a résumé, transcript and letter of recommendation. For more information about the Rural Law Practice Grant or to view an application, visit www.kfb.org/legalfoundation.