Jacy Hurst to be sworn in as Kansas Court of Appeals judge August 13

TOPEKA—Jacy Hurst will be sworn in as judge of the Kansas Court of Appeals at 11 a.m. Friday, August 13, before an invited audience in the Supreme Court courtroom in the Kansas Judicial Center, Topeka.
 
Chief Judge Karen Arnold-Burger, Kansas Court of Appeals, will preside over the ceremony. Hurst will be introduced by Megan McCurdy, a friend and former colleague from Stinson LLP, and Robin Wheeler Sanders, a friend and former colleague from Swope Health.
 
The public can access a live webcast of the ceremony on the Kansas Supreme Court YouTube channel at www.YouTube.com/KansasSupremeCourt.
 
Hurst was appointed to the Court of Appeals by Gov. Laura Kelly in February 2021 to fill a vacancy created when then-Judge Melissa Taylor Standridge was appointed to the Supreme Court. Her appointment was confirmed by the Senate March 23, 2021. 
 
She lives with her family in Lawrence.
 
On becoming a lawyer
 
Hurst said she initially wanted to become a lawyer so she could help people through difficult situations involving the court system, something she witnessed firsthand as a child.
 
“From a young age, I liked to argue and analyze issues, and I had a real sense of fairness and what was right and wrong,” Hurst said.
 
As she grew up and pursued her education, she discovered a deep-seated love and appreciation for the study of law.
 
On becoming a judge
 
Hurst was inspired to become a judge from her experience and interactions with judges, and the persistent encouragement she got from her children.
 
“I had the opportunity to work in courtrooms with amazing judges who showed me their dedication to the analysis of the law and the application of it to my cases,” Hurst said. “I also got to know judges on a personal level through education and civic duties, and they talked about their appreciation for their work and for the service it brought to Kansans.”
 
As she considered seeking a judgeship, her children repeated words of encouragement she had shared with them about reaching their own goals.
 
“When I started talking about this journey, they really pushed me,” she said. “They echoed back the things I’d said to them about being the best you can be and really working hard for your goals.”
 
Professional background
 
Hurst graduated from the University of Kansas with a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in political science. She graduated from the University of Kansas School of Law. 
 
While attending law school, Hurst was on the KU Law Review staff, was the vice president to the Student Bar Association for her class, and served as treasurer of the Black Law Student Association.
 
Immediately prior to her appointment to the Court of Appeals, Hurst was a partner in the law firm Kutak Rock LLP of Kansas City, Missouri, where her practice focused on health care law and compliance, and employment law litigation and counseling. She was with Kutak Rock LLP from 2017 until her appointment in 2021.
 
 
Before that, Hurst was general counsel and chief compliance officer for Swope Health Services, a healthcare organization with nine clinics across Kansas and Missouri, from 2014 to 2017. While there, she provided senior leadership to the legal and compliance departments and managed all aspects of litigation.
 
From 2007 to 2014, Hurst was an associate attorney with Stinson LLP with a practice emphasis in commercial litigation, employment law litigation and counseling, and health care law.
 
Hurst served as chair of the Douglas County United Way board of directors, vice president and member of her children’s PTO and as a member of the Greater Kansas City Society of Health Care Attorneys. She currently serves as a member of the Kansas Board of Law Examiners and is an adjunct professor for Washburn University School of Law. She has been a presenter of the Ethics for Good continuing legal education program since 2014.
 
In-person swearing-in ceremony
 
Hurst’s will be the first swearing-in ceremony to take place in the Supreme Court courtroom since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. The number of invited guests in the courtroom is limited to comply with recommendations for mass gatherings made by the Shawnee County Health Department. 
 
Retention elections
 
After a new judge serves one year on the court, he or she must stand for a retention vote in the next general election to remain in the position. If retained, the judge serves a four-year term.