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My Background:
I have retired from the practice of law. But I plan to continue speaking and writing on the topic of estate planning. So, how did I get to this point?
After 18 years at a well-respected law firm in Lawrence, Kansas, I established the Ramsdell Law Office in 2017.
I was busy from day one, and greatly enjoyed the opportunity to focus on estate planning in the way I wanted to practice: Helping people think through their unique situation and plans, then drafting the appropriate documents – a Will or Living Trust, Financial and Healthcare Powers of Attorney, and a Living Will & Healthcare Directive – to capture their intent.
And the quality of my work was recognized by my selection as a Missouri & Kansas Super Lawyer (top 5%) in the Estate Planning & Probate practice area for three years running (2020, 2021, and 2022).
For four years (2016 - 2019), I taught Law 907 - Estate Planning: Practice as adjunct faculty at the University of Kansas School of Law. The final, capstone course in the sequence of tax and estate planning courses offered at KU Law, the course covered traditional Wills and the probate process; Revocable Living Trusts; incapacity planning via durable General and Healthcare Powers of Attorney, as well as the creation of Supplemental Needs Trusts; and planning for retirement assets.
Since 2010, I’ve given free, public seminars on estate planning for the Senior Resource Center for Douglas County, Lawrence Parks & Recreation, various community libraries, and to a variety of groups. (Dates, times, and locations of upcoming seminars are listed on the Home page. Also look for notices published in Kaw Valley Senior Monthly and Better Senior Living, as well as posted on the community bulletin board at the Lawrence Public Library.) I distilled these insights into the book Estate Planning Overview (ISBN 978-1481864312) which is available from Amazon. For four years (July 2013 - June 2017) I wrote the Estate Planning column that appeared in Kaw Valley Senior Monthly. Copies of these columns can be viewed by accessing the back issues of Senior Monthly available at www.seniormonthly.net.
I brought a broad perspective to my practice, having served from 1975 to 1996 on active duty in the U.S. Army Field Artillery. One notable assignment was duty as an Assistant Professor of Economics at West Point after earning an M.B.A. at Dartmouth College. Following service in the First Gulf War as operations officer of the MLRS rocket artillery battalion attached to the 1st Armored Division, my final assignment was as a Tactics Instructor at the Command & General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.
I used my GI Bill benefits to attend the University of Kansas School of Law, earning Order of the Coif (top 10% of my class) at graduation in 1999. Within a week, I was working full-time while preparing for the Bar exam. For a number of years my practice emphasized civil litigation, and I successfully tried jury trials in Douglas, Franklin, Jefferson, and Leavenworth counties. On each occasion when the losing party appealed, I briefed, argued, and won before the Kansas Court of Appeals.
But estate planning is what I enjoy, and so it is the topic on which I plan to continue speaking and writing.
Licensing & Organizations:
Admitted to the Kansas Bar, 1999 - 2023. Currently retired from the active practice of law.
Kansas Bar Association - Member, 1999 - 2023.
Douglas County Bar Association - Member, 1999 - 2023.
Douglas County Estate Planning Council - Member since 2008. Vice-President, 2017. President, 2018.
Judge Hugh Means Chapter, American Inns of Court - Member, 1999-2017; Treasurer 2008-2011; Vice-President 2011-2012; President 2012-2013.
Education:
J.D., University of Kansas School of Law, 1999.
M.B.A. with High Distinction, Dartmouth College, 1984.
B.A. cum laude (Economics), McDaniel College, 1975.
I have retired from the practice of law. But I plan to continue speaking and writing on the topic of estate planning. So, how did I get to this point?
After 18 years at a well-respected law firm in Lawrence, Kansas, I established the Ramsdell Law Office in 2017.
I was busy from day one, and greatly enjoyed the opportunity to focus on estate planning in the way I wanted to practice: Helping people think through their unique situation and plans, then drafting the appropriate documents – a Will or Living Trust, Financial and Healthcare Powers of Attorney, and a Living Will & Healthcare Directive – to capture their intent.
And the quality of my work was recognized by my selection as a Missouri & Kansas Super Lawyer (top 5%) in the Estate Planning & Probate practice area for three years running (2020, 2021, and 2022).
For four years (2016 - 2019), I taught Law 907 - Estate Planning: Practice as adjunct faculty at the University of Kansas School of Law. The final, capstone course in the sequence of tax and estate planning courses offered at KU Law, the course covered traditional Wills and the probate process; Revocable Living Trusts; incapacity planning via durable General and Healthcare Powers of Attorney, as well as the creation of Supplemental Needs Trusts; and planning for retirement assets.
Since 2010, I’ve given free, public seminars on estate planning for the Senior Resource Center for Douglas County, Lawrence Parks & Recreation, various community libraries, and to a variety of groups. (Dates, times, and locations of upcoming seminars are listed on the Home page. Also look for notices published in Kaw Valley Senior Monthly and Better Senior Living, as well as posted on the community bulletin board at the Lawrence Public Library.) I distilled these insights into the book Estate Planning Overview (ISBN 978-1481864312) which is available from Amazon. For four years (July 2013 - June 2017) I wrote the Estate Planning column that appeared in Kaw Valley Senior Monthly. Copies of these columns can be viewed by accessing the back issues of Senior Monthly available at www.seniormonthly.net.
I brought a broad perspective to my practice, having served from 1975 to 1996 on active duty in the U.S. Army Field Artillery. One notable assignment was duty as an Assistant Professor of Economics at West Point after earning an M.B.A. at Dartmouth College. Following service in the First Gulf War as operations officer of the MLRS rocket artillery battalion attached to the 1st Armored Division, my final assignment was as a Tactics Instructor at the Command & General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.
I used my GI Bill benefits to attend the University of Kansas School of Law, earning Order of the Coif (top 10% of my class) at graduation in 1999. Within a week, I was working full-time while preparing for the Bar exam. For a number of years my practice emphasized civil litigation, and I successfully tried jury trials in Douglas, Franklin, Jefferson, and Leavenworth counties. On each occasion when the losing party appealed, I briefed, argued, and won before the Kansas Court of Appeals.
But estate planning is what I enjoy, and so it is the topic on which I plan to continue speaking and writing.
Licensing & Organizations:
Admitted to the Kansas Bar, 1999 - 2023. Currently retired from the active practice of law.
Kansas Bar Association - Member, 1999 - 2023.
Douglas County Bar Association - Member, 1999 - 2023.
Douglas County Estate Planning Council - Member since 2008. Vice-President, 2017. President, 2018.
Judge Hugh Means Chapter, American Inns of Court - Member, 1999-2017; Treasurer 2008-2011; Vice-President 2011-2012; President 2012-2013.
Education:
J.D., University of Kansas School of Law, 1999.
M.B.A. with High Distinction, Dartmouth College, 1984.
B.A. cum laude (Economics), McDaniel College, 1975.