Carol A. Beier
Encyclopedia
Carol A. Beier is a Kansas Supreme Court
Justice appointed by Governor Kathleen Sebelius
. She took office September 5, 2003 to replace retiring Justice Bob Abbott.
, Kansas
. She attended Benedictine College
in Atchison
before earning a B.S. in Journalism at the University of Kansas
in 1981. Beier later went on to obtain a J.D.
at KU in 1985 and an LL.M., at University of Virginia School of Law
in 2004. Justice Beier currently resides in Topeka with her husband Richard W. Green and their three children.
. Upon obtaining her J.D. she served as a clerk
to then Judge James Kenneth Logan
of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit.
She start her career as a Staff Attorney in Litigation and Legislation Practice at the National Women's Law Center
through the Women's Rights and Public Policy fellowship program of the Georgetown University Law Center
. After finishing the fellowship she entered private practice focusing on white collar criminal defense for Arent, Fox, Kintner, Plotkin & Kahn in Washington, D.C.
from 1987 to 1988. She came back to Kansas in 1988 and practiced litigation concentrating on commercial disputes and health care law at Foulston & Siefkin L.L.P. in Wichita
eventually becoming a partner at the firm.
In 2000 Beier was appointed to the Kansas Court of Appeals
where she served until being named to the Kansas Supreme Court to replace retiring Justice Bob Abbott in 2003. She will face her next retention vote in 2010. In 2004 she retained her seat with 702,423 (76.4%) for her and 215,948 (23.5%) opposed.
Justice Beier is a member of the American Bar Association
, American Judicature Society
, American Bar Foundation
, National Association of Women Judges, Kansas Bar Association
, D.C. Bar, Kansas Women Attorneys Association, the Wichita and Topeka Bar Associations, and the Institute of Judicial Administration at New York University School of Law
.
Kansas Supreme Court
The Kansas Supreme Court is the highest judicial authority in the state of Kansas. Composed of seven justices, led by Chief Justice Lawton Nuss, the Court supervises the legal profession, administers over the judicial branch, and serves as the state court of last resort in the appeals...
Justice appointed by Governor Kathleen Sebelius
Kathleen Sebelius
Kathleen Sebelius is an American politician currently serving as the 21st Secretary of Health and Human Services. She was the second female Governor of Kansas from 2003 to 2009, the Democratic respondent to the 2008 State of the Union address, and chair-emerita of the Democratic Governors...
. She took office September 5, 2003 to replace retiring Justice Bob Abbott.
Personal life
Carol A. Beier was born September 27, 1958 in Kansas CityKansas City, Kansas
Kansas City is the third-largest city in the state of Kansas and is the county seat of Wyandotte County. It is a suburb of Kansas City, Missouri, and is the third largest city in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. The city is part of a consolidated city-county government known as the "Unified...
, Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
. She attended Benedictine College
Benedictine College
Benedictine College is a co-educational university in Atchison, Kansas, founded in 1971 by the merger of St. Benedict's College for men and Mount St. Scholastica College for women. It is a Roman Catholic, Benedictine, liberal arts, and residential college located on bluffs overlooking the...
in Atchison
Atchison, Kansas
Atchison is a city situated along the Missouri River in the eastern part of Atchison County, located in northeast Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 11,021. It is the county seat and most populous city of Atchison County...
before earning a B.S. in Journalism at the University of Kansas
University of Kansas
The University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The...
in 1981. Beier later went on to obtain a J.D.
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
at KU in 1985 and an LL.M., at University of Virginia School of Law
University of Virginia School of Law
The University of Virginia School of Law was founded in Charlottesville in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson as one of the original subjects taught at his "academical village," the University of Virginia. The law school maintains an enrollment of approximately 1,100 students in its initial degree program...
in 2004. Justice Beier currently resides in Topeka with her husband Richard W. Green and their three children.
Professional life
After earning the B.S. from KU Beier spent two years working for the Kansas City TimesKansas City Times
The Kansas City Times was a morning newspaper in Kansas City, Missouri, that was published from 1867 to 1990.The morning Kansas City Times, under ownership of afternoon The Kansas City Star, won two Pulitzer Prizes and was actually bigger than its parent when its name was changed to the...
. Upon obtaining her J.D. she served as a clerk
Law clerk
A law clerk or a judicial clerk is a person who provides assistance to a judge in researching issues before the court and in writing opinions. Law clerks are not court clerks or courtroom deputies, who are administrative staff for the court. Most law clerks are recent law school graduates who...
to then Judge James Kenneth Logan
James Kenneth Logan
James Kenneth Logan is a former United States federal judge.Born in Quenemo, Kansas, Logan was a Corporal in the United States Army from 1947 to 1948. He received an A.B. from the University of Kansas in 1952 and an LL.B. from Harvard Law School in 1955. He was a law clerk, Hon. Walter Huxman,...
of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit.
She start her career as a Staff Attorney in Litigation and Legislation Practice at the National Women's Law Center
National Women's Law Center
The National Women's Law Center is a Washington, DC-based non-profit organization founded in 1972. Through litigation and policy initiatives, the Center strives to improve the lives of women and their families in the areas of health, employment, family economic security, and education...
through the Women's Rights and Public Policy fellowship program of the Georgetown University Law Center
Georgetown University Law Center
Georgetown University Law Center is the law school of Georgetown University, located in Washington, D.C.. Established in 1870, the Law Center offers J.D., LL.M., and S.J.D. degrees in law...
. After finishing the fellowship she entered private practice focusing on white collar criminal defense for Arent, Fox, Kintner, Plotkin & Kahn in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
from 1987 to 1988. She came back to Kansas in 1988 and practiced litigation concentrating on commercial disputes and health care law at Foulston & Siefkin L.L.P. in Wichita
Wichita, Kansas
Wichita is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas.As of the 2010 census, the city population was 382,368. Located in south-central Kansas on the Arkansas River, Wichita is the county seat of Sedgwick County and the principal city of the Wichita metropolitan area...
eventually becoming a partner at the firm.
In 2000 Beier was appointed to the Kansas Court of Appeals
Kansas Court of Appeals
The Kansas Court of Appeals is the intermediate-level appellate court for the U.S. state of Kansas.-History:The Kansas Legislature crated the first Kansas Court of Appeals in 1895, to help the Kansas Supreme Court with an increasingly heavy caseload. The original statute that created the court...
where she served until being named to the Kansas Supreme Court to replace retiring Justice Bob Abbott in 2003. She will face her next retention vote in 2010. In 2004 she retained her seat with 702,423 (76.4%) for her and 215,948 (23.5%) opposed.
Justice Beier is a member of the American Bar Association
American Bar Association
The American Bar Association , founded August 21, 1878, is a voluntary bar association of lawyers and law students, which is not specific to any jurisdiction in the United States. The ABA's most important stated activities are the setting of academic standards for law schools, and the formulation...
, American Judicature Society
American Judicature Society
The American Judicature Society is an independent, nonpartisan, national organization of judges, lawyers, and interested members of the public whose mission is to improve the American justice system - to "secure and promote an independent and qualified judiciary and fair system of justice." ...
, American Bar Foundation
American Bar Foundation
Established in 1952, the ' is an independent, nonprofit national research institute located in Chicago, Illinois committed to objective empirical research on law and legal institutions...
, National Association of Women Judges, Kansas Bar Association
Kansas Bar Association
The Kansas Bar Association is a voluntary, non-profit bar association for the state of Kansas with the headquarters located at 12th and Harrison St. in Topeka. The KBA has approximately 7,000 members and was founded in 1882.- Membership :...
, D.C. Bar, Kansas Women Attorneys Association, the Wichita and Topeka Bar Associations, and the Institute of Judicial Administration at New York University School of Law
New York University School of Law
The New York University School of Law is the law school of New York University. Established in 1835, the school offers the J.D., LL.M., and J.S.D. degrees in law, and is located in Greenwich Village, in the New York City borough of Manhattan....
.