KU Law student wins grant, committed to serving Ford County

LAWRENCE — A third-year student at the University of Kansas School of Law will receive a grant from the Kansas Farm Bureau Legal Foundation to locate his legal practice in rural Kansas after graduating. Ian Englebright is one of up to three possible recipients of the foundation’s Rural Law Practice Grant this year.

The grant is awarded to law students who intend to practice in rural Kansas after graduation, bringing legal information and advocacy to those with limited access to resources. A maximum of three students each year can win the $16,500 grant. To date, the KFB Legal Foundation has awarded 11 Rural Law Practice Grants to attorneys practicing in 10 counties.

After graduating in May, Englebright will be working as an assistant county attorney for the Ford County Attorney’s Office in Dodge City. He plans to serve the people of Ford County and the surrounding judicial district while also looking to be involved in the larger southwest Kansas community. 

Englebright said he is grateful for the Rural Law Practice Grant because he can start his legal career with financial stability instead of worry or uncertainty as he makes the move to rural Kansas.

“Kansas is great because of the people in rural counties and communities. I take pride in saying I’m from Kansas whenever I am traveling and making new friends,” he said. “Part of that pride involves conscious efforts to serve and love fellow Kansans, no matter where they live or where they grew up. I want to continue being proud of my state by serving those in rural communities in a capacity that is especially needed in this day for rural Kansans.”

Englebright was supported throughout this process by KU Law’s Career Services Office, specifically Stacey Blakeman, assistant dean of career services.

“The KBF Rural Law Practice Grant is a significant award recognizing new lawyers who are committed to serving smaller Kansas communities,” Blakeman said. “Ian will be an outstanding attorney, and we are delighted that another Jayhawk lawyer will be serving southwest Kansas.”

Englebright is a lifelong Kansan, but growing up in Wichita meant most of his experiences were shaped by urban life. His interest in serving rural communities began after a church mission trip to rural Argentina several years ago.

“To my surprise, many of the towns I lived in down there felt like rural Kansas,” he said. “Calm, tranquil and full of the kindest and most amazing people ever. There were even large fields of sunflowers, so despite being over 5,000 miles from home, I still felt close to Kansas.”

Englebright said he believed that being a lawyer is all about making an impact in the community alongside the people that you work with. He said that there isn’t a better opportunity to make real and meaningful changes in the community than in rural Kansas.

“If you want to feel valued and appreciated for your effort, then rural Kansas is the place you need to be,” he said.