Dean Duncan to receive KBA President’s Special Service Award in May

The Annual Brandeis School of Law Alumni Reception, coinciding with the Annual Kentucky Bar Association Convention, will be held on Wednesday, May 11 at 6:30 p.m. at Stites and Harbison. On that day, Dean Susan Duncan will receive the President’s Special Service Award, an award chosen by KBA President Doug Farnsley.

Farnsley, who is now in his third year on the KBA Board of Governors, said the decision was easy.

“Susan was the obvious choice for the award and everyone supported my decision. She is doing a great job as Dean of the Law School. She is also a highly effective leader in the organized bar,” he said. “I have worked with a lot of wonderful people who are doing great things and I put her at the very top of the list.”

Farnsley said Dean Duncan has been particularly effective with diversity initiatives. In September 2014, the KBA created a working group to supplement and “add momentum” to the standing diversity committee. Dean Duncan was part of that group.

“At the very first meeting, Susan told us, ‘if you want to make a difference in diversity in the legal profession, you will need scholarship money.’ That single statement informed much of what we’ve worked on since," Farnsley said.

As an outgrowth of that statement, the KBA created a diversity fund and has increased donations by nearly $50,000 in just three years.

Farnsley also applauded Dean Duncan’s work to help resurrect the Kentucky Legal Education Opportunity (KLEO) program, which prepares students from low-income, minority and disadvantaged backgrounds for the rigors of law school.

“When the financial crisis hit in 2008, everything fell apart and we went without state funding. We went to the legislature and told them it was important to support KLEO and had students explain why it was important to them and money was put back into the budget in 2014,” Farnsley said. “I attribute that all back to Susan. I really do.”

Additionally, Farnsley recognized Dean Duncan’s work in helping put together last year’s inaugural Diversity Pipeline event, which was held at the Brandeis School of Law and which earned the KBA Young Lawyer’s Division a Next Steps Challenge Award.

“She chaired the first day pipeline and put it all together,” he said. “Susan not only always shows up, she contributes effectively. She is making a significant difference. I am pleased to have the opportunity to recognize her in this way.”