Records of the Kansas Board of Law Examiners

Administrative History: The Kansas Board of Law Examiners was first established in 1903. The Board consisted at the time of five members appointed by the Kansas Supreme Court who served four-year terms (now a ten-member board, consisting of Kansas lawyers and judges). The Board is an arm of the Supreme Court and is subject to the Court's direction and approval. The authority for the creation of this Board is found in the statute which empowers the Court to make rules for the examination of applications for admission to the Bar in the state of Kansas.

The purpose of the Board is to hold examinations each year for applicants for admission to the Bar. The Board administers and reviews examinations from applicants. After completing the examination, the Board recommends the applicants that successfully passed the examination to be admitted to the Bar. The Court then accepts or rejects the report from the Board.

Since 1949 the Board has also had the power to investigate all accusations filed against a regular practicing attorney in Kansas. If the Board finds an accusation to be true, they have the power to disbar an attorney and recommend prosecution from the Attorney General.

[Wilder, Bessie. Governmental Agencies of the State of Kansas, 1861-1956. Lawrence: University of Kansas Publications, 1957.]

Scope and content: The records of the Kansas Board of Law Examiners held by the Kansas State Archives mostly consist of applications to be admitted to the bar, from the first half of the twentieth century. Other records include correspondence, complaints, meeting minutes, financial records, and other such administrative records related to running the Board and performing its duties.