When Kim Parker stepped down from her position as chief deputy district attorney for Sedgwick County in 2016, she didn?t necessarily retire.
Instead, the Moran native became active in bigger causes.
This year, Parker is chairman of the American Bar Association?s Criminal Justice Section, a nationwide consortium of states? judges, defense attorneys, prosecutors, public defenders and scholars whose purpose is to study criminal law and its global application.
Issues before the section include white collar crime, the role of plea bargaining, women as criminal justice professionals and justice within the armed forces. The council also reviews the ethical standards expected of judges, prosecutors and defense attorneys.
Parker is hoping a highlight of her chairmanship will be adoption of new criminal justice discovery standards, a five-year effort to address, in part, pre-trial procedures, such as what a prosecutor must give to the defense, and how quickly.
Parker now splits her time between Eudora and Boise, Idaho, where her two children, Amy and Will live.
She is the daughter of Janice and Gary Parker, rural Moran.
Though she never had her heart set on becoming an attorney, she said ?someone, I can?t remember who, once planted the seed that by having a law degree ?You can do anything.??
So after graduating from Marmaton Valley High School (1975), Allen County Community College (1977) and the University of Kansas, (1979) with a degree in political science, Parker proceeded to Washburn University School of Law, graduating in 1981.
Parker worries that the opportunities for today?s law students can be overwhelmed by the cost of an education.
?It?s hard to recoup student loans these days,? she said. ?Unfortunately, in today?s economy hard work isn?t enough ? the debt is so great,? noting the competitiveness of the field.
Still, she marvels on how a random remark can ?turn out to guide your life.?
Parker began her legal career in 1982 working for Clark Owens, then district attorney in Wichita, where she advanced ?pretty quickly.?
Even so, she got the itch to go into private practice and hung out her shingle.
That lasted only about a year when Nola Foulston, who succeeded Owens as DA at the 18th Judicial District, invited Parker back to the DA?s office.
?In private practice, I was in that struggle. I think people were good to me, but that?s a hard road. I was wanting to have kids, and government work is more flexible.?
