Wichita lawyer appointed to Kansas Lawyers Assistance Program board

TOPEKA—The Kansas Supreme Court appointed Christopher Garcia to the Kansas Lawyers Assistance Program board.

Garcia, a Wichita lawyer, will serve a term ending June 30, 2025.

Garcia has practiced criminal law since 1997 and has specialized in working with alcoholics and addicts since 2001. He has been the defense attorney for Sedgwick County Drug Court since 2013.

Since 2009, Garcia has chaired the Wichita Bar Association Lawyers Assistance Committee, a group of lawyers helping lawyers suffering from substance abuse, addiction, and depression. He speaks to law firms and other groups about the importance of prioritizing self-care in the practice of law.

After graduating from Trinity University and the University of Kansas School of Law, Garcia clerked for U.S. District Judge Monti L. Belot, worked at the Sedgwick County Public Defender’s Office, and then entered private practice.

The Supreme Court created the Kansas Lawyers Assistance Program to help lawyers seek treatment for physical or mental illness, substance abuse, or emotional distress.

A lawyer seeking help can be paired with a volunteer attorney for peer counseling; directed to a treatment center or medical professional; or pointed to KALAP's Resiliency Support Group, which offers weekly sessions run by a psychologist who also is a lawyer.