“The generosity of the Weigand Trust is overwhelming. I am honored by my selection and truly grateful for all of the assistance and opportunities the Trust provides.”
Thomas Ruane
University of Kansas
Weigand Scholar: 2006
Hometown:
Overland Park, KS
Education:
B.S., Business Administration, University of Kansas, 2002
- Phi Betta Kappa
- Beta Gamma Sigma
J.D., University of Kansas School of Law, 2006
Employer:
Polsinelli Shughart PC
Practice Areas:
- Wealth Planning and Estate Administration
Professional Associations:
- Kansas Bar Association
- The Missouri Bar
- Johnson County Bar Association
- Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association
- Johnson County Bench/Bar – Probate Committee Member
- Eastern Kansas Estate Planning Council
As an undergraduate, Thomas was a member of several honor societies, studying Business with an emphasis in Finance. He also completed a concentration in Spanish and studied one summer in Barcelona.
In law school, Thomas consistently ranked in the top 5% of his class while being heavily involved with extracurricular activities. He was a member of Phi Beta Kappa, and had four top papers in Lawyering I and II. In 2003, he was honored with the Payne & Jones Lawyering Program Award. In 2004-2005, he acted as a Student Ambassador for KU Law and interned with the Paul E. Wilson Defender Project, assisting federal and state inmates with a variety of post-conviction issues.
He received the CALI Awards in Civil Procedure, Contracts, and Federal Income Taxation. Other honors in Law School include Order of the Coif, UMB Bank Excellence in Estate Planning Award, Payne & Jones Lawyering Program Award, and CALI Awards for Civil Procedure, Contracts, and Federal Income Tax. Thomas worked as a summer associate at Foulston Siefkin LLP in Wichita (2005), Payne & Jones, Chartered, in Overland Park (2005), and McAnany, Van Cleave and Phillips, P.A. in Kansas City (2004). Following his graduation in 2006, Thomas joined the firm of Polsinelli Shughart (Overland Park), and enjoys working extensively with Kansans throughout the state in estate planning.
“Although I once gave a great deal of thought to pursuing a career outside the state, the older I get the more I realize that Kansas is home. The people and the opportunities here are second to none, and I cannot imagine a better place to live or work.”