Mark Meinhardt and Washburn Law Clinic Successfully Argue Appeal Before Kansas Court of Appeals
On June 15, 2001, Mark Meinhardt, a legal intern in the Washburn Law Clinic, received a favorable decision from a case he briefed and argued before the Kansas Court of Appeals, SRS v. Cook, 26 P.3d 76 (Kan. App. 2001). The court held that when a parent is sued to reimburse the state welfare department for benefits provided for the parent's child, the court must consider the parent's financial circumstances in deciding the appropriate amount to order. Prior to this decision, trial courts were interpreting state law as requiring an order that all parents repay the full amount of benefits provided, regardless of their ability to pay. The decision will have impact throughout the state, benefitting many impoverished parents who are unable to make full reimbursement to the state welfare department. Mark and the other legal interns who worked on the pre-appeal aspects of the case were supervised by Professor Sheila Reynolds.
