KU News Release

Five incoming KU law students named Rice scholars

LAWRENCE — Five incoming law students at the University of Kansas have been selected for the prestigious Rice Scholar Program, which offers full tuition scholarships to Kansas residents who have outstanding academic records and proven leadership ability.

Faculty members select Rice scholars from the pool of first-year law students each year based on merit, as evidenced by undergraduate academic achievement, Law School Admission Test score and record of leadership. The scholarship is renewable in the students’ second and third years of law school if they maintain a minimum grade-point average.

The 2007-08 Rice scholars are Anne Gepford of Leawood, Lauren M. Marino of Overland Park, John Francis Murphy of Prairie Village, Grant Reichert of Dresden and Meghan Elisabeth Walsh of Lawrence.

Trustees of the Ethel and Raymond F. Rice Foundation and former dean Martin Dickinson created the Rice Scholar Program in 1979 to honor the Rices and pay tribute to Raymond Rice’s dedication to scholarship, the legal profession and KU’s School of Law. Since then, 145 outstanding Kansans have become Rice scholars.

Following his graduation from KU’s School of Law in 1908, Raymond Rice became known as one of the great corporate lawyers in the country, with clients in Chicago and New York. Closer to home, he became general counsel for the Kansas Electric Power Company, forerunner of Kansas Power and Light. A member of the School of Law faculty from 1913 to 1926, Rice served on the Kansas Board of Law Examiners for 26 years and reviewed thousands of candidates for admission to practice. Throughout his life, Rice dedicated himself to the highest standards of legal profession and to public service.

The new scholars are listed below by hometown.

DECATUR COUNTY
From Dresden 67635
Grant Reichert is the son of Wilbur and Jill Reichert. Reichert is a graduate of Decatur Community High School and received a bachelor’s degree from Kansas State University. As an undergraduate, Reichert was a member of the K-State wrestling team. He qualified for the National Collegiate Wrestling Association nationals during his junior and senior years and served as a team captain during his senior year.

DOUGLAS COUNTY
From Lawrence 66044
Meghan Elisabeth Walsh is the daughter of Regis Walsh and Elisabeth Spainhour. Walsh is a graduate of Lawrence High School and received a bachelor’s degree from KU. Walsh spent the past year as an AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer at the KU Center for Service Learning.

JOHNSON COUNTY
From Leawood 66209
Anne Gepford is the daughter of Rich and Gwen Gepford. She is a graduate of Blue Valley North High School and received a bachelor’s degree from Texas Tech University. At Texas Tech, Gepford was involved with the Student Government Association, Mortar Board, Alpha Delta Pi and the Association for Women in Communications.

From Overland Park 66213
Lauren M. Marino is the daughter of Michael and Judy Marino. She is a graduate of St. Thomas Aquinas High School and received a bachelor’s degree from KU. Marino has been employed by a Kansas City law firm since her graduation from KU.

From Prairie Village 66207
John Francis Murphy is the son of John and Mary Murphy. He is a graduate of Pembroke Hill School and received a bachelor’s degree from Princeton University. Murphy is an Arabic speaker with a focus on studying the history, culture and politics of the Middle East, with particular experience in Lebanon, Morocco and Yemen.

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