About Paul Shipp

Managing Attorney | Disability & Aging Crime Victims Unit

Paul attended Radford University in his home state of Virginia, where he obtained dual Bachelor of Science degrees in History & Social Science. He graduated from Washburn University School of Law in 2001 and then worked for a small law firm in Topeka before joining Kansas Legal Services, Inc. in 2003. His work at KLS was varied; however, his focus was helping low-income individuals with civil legal problems that threatened their social and economic stability. Paul takes pride in his work as a civil litigator and is not afraid to make changes via the court system. Paul has successfully argued several cases before the Kansas Court of Appeals and has had two significant wins in the Kansas Supreme Court. In 2008, Paul made state and national news with the landmark decision of In Re L.M., 286 Kan. 460, 186 P.3d 164 (2008), where the Kansas Supreme Court extended constitutional rights to children that they did not have prior. He was awarded the Elizabeth Ferguson Excellence Award that same year. United States Attorney General, Eric Holder, recognized Paul as a national leader for his legal work for children and invited him to Washington DC to speak at a National Conference held for legislators across the country. In 2021, Paul had another significant case out of the Kansas Supreme Court that protected the paychecks of working people from illegal garnishment, Stormont v. Sievers, 314 Kan. 355, 498 P.3d 1217 (2021). Paul is a proud supporter and board member of True Colors Flint Hills, Inc.; there, he advocates for direct services for LGBTQAI+ youth and educates the community about the need to support queer and trans youth. He has a love of local history and a passion for researching his own family’s history. Paul joined DRC in November 2022. His goal is to use his experience to bring equality and access to justice to the client communities served by DRC.