“An alumni compared the honor of being selected as a Weigand Scholar with being drafted as the overall number one pick in a professional sports league. That seems to be what Mr. Weigand wanted for Kansas: a history of number one draft picks for his favorite team. I am very humbled by mark of distinction that comes with being named a recipient.”


Richard Budden

Washburn University
Weigand Scholar: 2012

rbudden@sbjlaw.com

View Richard’s video

Hometown:
St. Marys, KS

Education:
B.B.A., Accounting and Business Management
Washburn University, 2009

J.D., Washburn University School of Law, 2012

  • Graduated magna cum laude
  • Top Papers: Legal Analysis, Research, and Writing I; Constitutional Litigation; Antitrust; Securities Regulation; Law and Literature
  • John Shamberg Scholar
  • Executive Editor, Washburn Law Journal

Employer:
Shamberg, Johnson & Bergman

Publications:

  • All in All, Miranda Loses Another Brick From Its Wall: The Supreme Court Swings Its Hammer in Berghuis v. Thompkins, Dealing a Crushing Blow to the Right to Remain Silent – Washburn Law Journal, Volume 50, Issue 2

Richard is a leader by example. He maintained a perfect grade point average throughout his undergraduate experience. He earned the Dale Marcoux Leadership scholarship and was named Sibberson Award finalist for maintaining the highest grades of all graduates from the School of Business. All through law school, he took on the position of chapter counselor for his undergraduate fraternity, to ensure that those coming after him would also have the opportunity to realize their full potential as leaders.

Richard entered law school as a John Shamberg scholar. From his performance on the write-on competition, Richard earned a spot on the Washburn Law Journal. In Richard’s second year, his comment, “All in All, Miranda Loses Another Brick From Its Wall: The Supreme Court Swings Its Hammer in Berghuis v. Thompkins, Dealing a Crushing Blow to the Right to Remain Silent ” was selected for publishing in Volume 50, Issue 2 of the Washburn Law Journal. Subsequently, Richard was chosen as Executive Editor for Volume 51.

Richard worked as an intern for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Wichita during the summer of 2010. In the fall of 2010 and the spring of 2011, Richard drove to Wichita for his internship in federal district court with Judge J. Thomas Marten. In the summer of 2011, Richard worked as an intern for the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office. Richard was an intake clerk for the Washburn Law Clinic during all three years of law school. In the spring of 2012, Richard was an intern for the Washburn Law Clinic, practicing civil litigation on behalf of low income clients.

Richard began his legal career as a clerk in federal court, working for Judge J. Thomas Marten in Wichita from 2012-2014. After completing his clerkship, Richard moved to Kansas City to advocate on behalf of injured plaintiffs as an associate attorney at Shamberg, Johnson & Bergman, Chartered. His practice consists of medical malpractice, products liability, bad faith insurance and other personal injury litigation.

Richard admires Mr. Weigand’s goals: “The J.L. Weigand Trust is a clever way of achieving such a lofty aspiration. I am proud to be a Weigand Scholar and am excited at the opportunity to pay back the personal investment this Trust has made in me.”


“Kansas is special because of its people. Known for our superior work ethic and uncommon integrity, we are especially valuable as a people who understand that being intelligent and being pleasant are not mutually exclusive ideals. The people of Kansas deserve excellent legal service, and I look forward to providing it.”