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


William McClendon, Lindsay McQuinn and Jon Zimmerman 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.” 


McClendon is an Oklahoma City University School of Law graduate who has a private practice in Greenwood County. McQuinn graduated from the University of Kansas School of Law and is practicing with Hampton and Royce in Saline County. Zimmerman received his juris doctor from the University of Tulsa College of Law and has established a private practice in Crawford County.   


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. To date, grant recipients are working in private and public positions in six counties in Kansas and are eligible to receive up to $99,000 from the Rural Law Practice Grant program.  


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.