Governor Kelly Appoints Larkin Walsh to Kansas Supreme Court

Governor Laura Kelly has appointed attorney Larkin Walsh to the Kansas Supreme Court, filling the vacancy left by the retirement of Justice Evelyn Z. Wilson. Walsh, senior counsel at Stueve Siegel Hanson, specializes in appellate, civil rights, consumer protection, and labor law and has argued cases before multiple Kansas appellate courts, U.S. Circuit Courts of Appeals, and the U.S. Supreme Court. Her background includes eight years as a law clerk for federal and state judges, including U.S. District Judge Carlos Murguia and former Kansas Supreme Court Justice Carol Beier. Walsh was selected from three finalists nominated by a merit-selection commission, with Kelly noting Walsh's extensive legal experience and service as valuable to the court. This appointment is Kelly's fourth to the seven-justice court and may be her last, as Kansas voters will decide in 2026 whether to switch to electing justices. Walsh expressed honor and gratitude for the appointment, emphasizing her commitment to fair and impartial justice and fidelity to the rule of law.