KU News Release

Law school bestows its highest honor on trio of distinguished alumni

LAWRENCE — The University of Kansas School of Law has bestowed three of its most accomplished graduates with Distinguished Alumnus Citations.

Sheila Bair, Class of 1978, William Sampson, Class of 1971, and Mikel Stout, Class of 1961, received the awards during a recent ceremony in Lawrence. The citations — the highest honor given by the School of Law — are presented annually to graduates who have distinguished themselves through exemplary service to the legal profession, their community, KU and the state or country.

“These alumni exemplify the highest ideals of the legal profession, truly practicing law as ‘a learned profession in the public interest,’ ” said Gail Agrawal, dean of the law school. “They are excellent advocates and wise counselors to their clients. Each of them has been recognized by peers in the legal profession as among the best lawyers in America.

“They give back through their service to their communities, to the practicing bar and, in myriad ways, to their legal alma mater. They share their knowledge of the law with the young lawyers and law students who will follow them, as adjunct faculty members and frequent presenters at continuing legal education programs. They inspire our students. We are proud they are part of the great enduring legacy of the KU School of Law.”

Sheila Bair

Sheila Bair
A native of Independence, Bair received a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from KU in 1975 and her law degree in 1978. She began her career working as chief counsel to former U.S. Sen. Robert Dole. In June 2006, Bair became the 19th chair of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. Just five months after her appointment, she was named to the Wall Street Journal magazine Smart Money’s “Power 30” list, a lineup of the 30 most influential people in investing.

Before joining the FDIC, Bair established herself as a nationally recognized leader in the area of financial policy through various positions, including a stint as senior vice president for government relations at the New York Stock Exchange. She has lent time and expertise to a host of professional and nonprofit organizations, including the Insurance Marketplace Standards Association, Women in Housing and Finance, Center for Responsible Lending, American Bar Association, Exchequer Club and Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. Her first children’s book, “Rock, Brock, and the Savings Shock,” which encourages children to save money, was published in 2006.

William Sampson

William Sampson
Sampson, who moved to Kansas in time for high school, earned a bachelor’s in history from KU in 1968 and a law degree in 1971. He was topics editor of the Kansas Law Review and a finalist in the James Barclay Smith Moot Court Competition. Four years of active duty as a Navy judge advocate followed law school, and Sampson returned to Wichita in l975 to join the trial section of Foulston Siefkin. In 1987, he moved to Shook, Hardy & Bacon, where he remains.

Sampson has been recognized nationally and internationally and is listed in the Best Lawyers in America, Chambers USA America’s Leading Lawyers for Business and in Who’s Who Legal — The International Who’s Who of Business Lawyers. With his law partner, Bill Hays, he is the author of “Kansas Trial Handbook,” part of Thomson/West’s Kansas Law and Practice Series. He has tried cases in Kansas and in numerous other states and has taught more than 100 continuing legal education programs in this country and abroad. He is a member of the International Association of Defense Counsel and spent years on the trial tactics faculty at the Emory University School of Law.

Mikel Stout

Mikel Stout
Born and raised in Kansas, Stout earned a bachelor’s in animal husbandry at Kansas State University in 1958 and his law degree from KU in 1961. He served as an editor of the Kansas Law Review and was inducted into Order of the Coif. Following graduation, Stout was a captain in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General Corps. In 1963, he joined the law firm of Foulston Siefkin in Wichita, where his focus is business litigation.

Stout is a past president of the Kansas Association of Defense Counsel, the Wichita Bar Association and the Kansas Bar Association. He was co-chair of the Civil Justice Reform Act Advisory Group for five years. In 1984, he was appointed to the Kansas Commission on Judicial Qualifications, a position he continues to hold. Inducted into the American College of Trial Lawyers in 1984, Stout is the current and 57th president of the group. Stout has been selected for inclusion in the Best Lawyers of America, the Missouri and Kansas Super Lawyer and Chambers USA.

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