William Daniel Biles (born August 12, 1952) is a justice of the Kansas Supreme Court. Biles was appointed on January 7, 2009, by Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius to replace retiring Chief Justice

Kay McFarland Kay McFarland (July 20, 1935 – August 18, 2015) was a chief justice of the Kansas Supreme Court. She was the first female elected to a judgeship in Shawnee County, Kansas, first appointed to the state supreme court, and first to hold the title ...

Personal life and education

Dan Biles was born August 12, 1952, in

El Dorado, Kansas El Dorado ( ) is city and county seat of Butler County, Kansas, United States. It is situated along the Walnut River in the central part of Butler County and located in south-central Kansas. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city ...

. He graduated with his bachelor's degree in journalism from

Kansas State University Kansas State University (KSU, Kansas State, or K-State) is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Manhattan, Kansas, United States. It was opened as the state's land-grant college in 1863 and was the first public instit ...

in 1975 and his

Juris Doctor The Juris Doctor (J.D. or JD), also known as Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D., JD, D.Jur., or DJur), is a graduate-entry professional degree in law and one of several Doctor of Law degrees. The J.D. is the standard degree obtained to practice law ...

from

Washburn University School of Law The Washburn University School of Law is a public law school located on the main campus of Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas. Washburn Law was founded in 1903. The school is accredited by the American Bar Association and has been a member of ...

in 1980."Office of Governor ''Kathleen Sebelius''" ''William Daniel Biles'' appointed to the ''Kansas Supreme Court'', January 7, 2009
/ref> He is the father of three daughters.

Legal career

Before becoming a practicing attorney, Biles was a reporter for the Associated Press Kansas Division from 1975 to 1980. After graduating from Law School, Biles joined the Kansas Attorney General's Office from 1980 to 1985 before entering into private practice. In 1985 Biles became a partner of the law firm of Gates, Biles & Shields, P.A., which is based in Overland Park, KS. Biles focused his legal practice in the areas of Commercial Litigation, Education Law, Administrative Law, Appellate Practice, Real Estate Transaction, Employment Law, Transportation, Municipal Financing, Civil Rights, First Amendment Cases, and Media Law. Biles while in private practice work was active in political endeavors as he was a member of the Kansas Turnpike Authority Board and also on the Kansas State Board of Education.

Kansas Supreme Court

Biles was one of three candidates recommended by the Kansas Supreme Court Nominating Commission to Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius. On January 7, 2009, Biles was appointed by Governor Sebelius; the other two choices recommended by the Kansas Supreme Court Nominating Commission were the Chief Judge of the Douglas County Court Robert Fairchild and Kansas Court of Appeals Judge Tom Malone."Kansas City Star", Biles appointed to the Final Three for the Supreme Court, November 14, 2008
/ref>

Associations and memberships

Biles is a member of the

Kansas Bar Association The Kansas Bar Association (KBA) is a voluntary, non-profit bar association for the state of Kansas with the headquarters located in The Robert L. Gernon Law Center at 12th and Harrison St. in Topeka. The KBA has approximately 6,500 members and ...

; the Kansas Association for Justice, and the Johnson County Bar Association. In addition to his work in the legal community, Biles served as the director of Community Living Opportunities, Inc., which is a not-for-profit organization serving more than 370 children and adults with severe developmental disabilities specializing in residential, day programs, and case management in Kansas. Biles was a former member the National Council of State Education Attorneys.

References

External links

* http://www.kscourts.org * http://www.kansas.gov {{DEFAULTSORT:Biles, Daniel 1952 births Living people Associated Press reporters Kansas State University alumni Justices of the Kansas Supreme Court People from El Dorado, Kansas School board members in Kansas Washburn University alumni 21st-century American judges