To the editor:

On Aug. 28, 2026, I and others from Great Bend were privileged to attend the investiture of the 34th and newest federal district judge for the District of Kansas – Jeff Kuhlman. He is a native of Ness City and lived and practiced law with Watkins & Calcara here in Great Bend for several years, before being appointed to the federal bench by the President of the United States and confirmed by the Senate this year. It was a proud moment for Great Bend and a proud and moving moment for those of us who got to know and work with him while he lived among us.

There could not have been a better choice for that appointment. In my years of practicing law, I have had cases before all but the first 11 Kansas federal judges since Kansas became a state and the few recently appointed ones. Kansas has a strong federal bench made up of top-notch judges. And Judge Kuhlman will continue that solid tradition. He has every positive trait that you could ask for in a judge.

Judge Kuhlman is young for a federal judge. But he has already developed more knowledge and legal acumen than many of us can put together in an entire career. Just out of law school, Judge Kuhlman clerked for and was mentored by federal judge Eric Melgren who is now a senior judge and will undoubtedly continue to mentor and strengthen Judge Kuhlman’s development as a judge. Judge Kuhlman will be a positive presence on our Kansas federal bench for decades to come.

And I have no doubt that his positive influence on the bench and the practice of law in the federal courts in Kansas will not end with his career. He will undoubtedly become an excellent mentor for clerks who work for him, a role model and inspiration for the lawyers who practice in his court and a mentor to the judges who will be appointed in the future. There are future judges and lawyers out there – some of whom have not started law school yet and some of whom have not yet even been born – who will benefit from appearing before or working with him. In that way, Judge Kuhlman’s positive influence on the bench and the legal profession will likely reach into the twenty-second century.

I will miss having Jeff as a law partner in the office next to mine, which enabled a lot of good conversations about legal issues arising in our cases, politics and other fun topics. If you knew Jeff and Lauren and their children – or even just met them once – you know that their move to Wichita is a loss to this community. They will be missed. But we can take a lot of pride in being a part of their history.

Allen Glendenning

Great Bend