Marilyn Harp, Executive Director of Kansas Legal Services, will be retiring from the position at the end of 2022.

Marilyn has been ED since 2006. She started with KLS as  a staff attorney from 1979 to 1984, straight out of University of Kansas Law School. From 1984 to 1996, Marilyn was Managing Attorney of the Wichita office, and from 1996 to 2006, served as KLS Regional Director in Wichita and Southwest Kansas.

Marilyn has had so many accomplishments over her years with KLS, that it’s hard to highlight just a few. She has been an indefatigable leader for KLS on every front, including both litigation and website/online forms technology -  to advocate for Kansans in person and those self-represented litigants wanting education and forms to do it themselves. 

Marilyn has helped establish a dozen self-help centers in district courts in Kansas for self-represented litigants. She co-founded the Elder Law Hotline and served as its director.  She created the Central Intake process for Kansans to apply for services, which they do at over 20,000 per year. She helped build the usability and popularity of the KLS website from around 400,000 users per year in 2014, to over 900,000 users in 2021. 

Many, many more of Marilyn's accomplishments have benefited KLS and low income Kansans over the years.  Her number one priority has always been vulnerable Kansas families and meeting their legal needs.

And along the way, Marilyn has been awarded many honors, served on boards, collaborated with countless community organizations, social service providers, and Courts. 

KLS has had an exemplary Executive Director in Marilyn Harp and it will be nearly impossible to replace her.