In a historic appointment, Wyandotte County District Attorney Mark Dupree has been named the first African-American president of the Kansas Bar Association.
Dupree’s Presidency
Dupree was sworn in as president of the Kansas Bar Association state convention held in Topeka KS at Washburn University in June.
The Kansas Bar Association, founded in 1882, is a voluntary association for legal professionals and has more than 5,000 members, including lawyers, judges, law students, and paralegals.
“Being elected by other lawyers across the state of Kansas has been humbling but a task at the same time,” said Dupree.
During his term as president, Dupree said he would work to ensure everyone who works for the courts as well as individuals seeking justice receive fair treatment across the board.
“We’ve got a lot of work to do,” said Dupree.
The theme of this year’s KBA convention was Civil Rights: 70 Years of Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka …We’ve Come a Long Way. Dupree selected Andrew Young as the keynote speaker for the event. During his presentation, Young said he believes Brown v. Board was one of the biggest parts of the movement, and everything catapulted after that.
Judge Gwynne Birzer, who along with Dupree is a Washburn Law School graduate, noted that the lawyers in the Brown v Topeka BOE case were also Washburn graduates.
“I can’t help but believe the Brown v Topeka Board of Education ruling paved the way for this very moment in KBA’s history,” said Birzer following the convention. “I am particularly proud of Mark for his continued involvement in the KBA. The fruits of his labor have resulted in change.”
Another Historic First for Dupree
This isn’t Dupree’s first historic appointment. In 2016, at just 35 years old, he was elected District Attorney in Wyandotte County, KS. He was also the first African American to hold this position
As district attorney, he is Wyandotte County’s top law enforcement official.
During his tenure, Dupree has opened a Community Integrity Unit to investigate citizen complaints against individual officers of the various Wyandotte County Law Enforcement Agencies and was instrumental in freeing Lamonte McIntyre, who served 23 years for a murder he didn’t commit.
In addition, he established a cold case unit to look at the nearly 300 open homicides in Kansas City all while adding more diversity to the DA’s staff.
About the Kansas Bar
The KBA works towards
● Advancing the professionalism and legal skills of lawyers
● Promoting the interests of the legal profession
● Advocating positions on law-related issues
● Encouraging public understanding of the law
● Promoting the effective administration of our system of justice
