​EMLF General Fund Scholarship recipient and Lawrence, KS native Helen ‘Lizzy’ McEntire is in her third year at Washburn University School of Law in Topeka, KS.

McEntire, the daughter of two attorneys and a descendant of a long line of government officials, says her interest in the law was inevitable.

“All shopping lists were written on legal pads. My Aunt Kathy even likes to joke that ‘voir dire’ were my first words,” McEntire said. “One of the greatest benefits of growing up in the Kansas legal community is learning vital ‘lawyer lessons’ early, such as how critically important one’s reputation is, how fundamentally lawyers are communicators, but more importantly lawyers must have a strong ability and willingness to listen … and how perseverance is key.”

McEntire says there are 2,100 oil and gas operators in the state of Kansas, and she plans to help them – and mineral owners – understand their rights.

“Whatever the scenario, each occasion must be met with competency and compassion,” McEntire said. “According to a recent American Bar Association article, there is a growing need within the legal profession for law students to graduate practice ready. I am doing my part to grow my competency in oil and gas law by taking the necessary legal courses and seeking out relevant cases in my various clerkships.”

McEntire was recommended to EMLF’s Scholarship Committee by Jacob Pugh, with the firm Pugh & Pugh in Wamego, KS. McEntire worked for the firm while earning her undergraduate degree, and Pugh said he hopes to hire McEntire.

“While in school, she maintained a strong GPA while balancing her work at our office. This ability to balance her different responsibilities is clear evidence to me that she has the capacity and drive to attend and succeed under the rigorous demands of practicing law,” Pugh said. “Lizzy’s success has continued in law school. Not only is she the top of her class, Lizzy also serves as the Senior Articles Editor on the Washburn Law Journal, the Student Representative for the Topeka Bar Association, and is a IL Professionalism Leader. She also has a wealth of practical experience. Lizzy has shown throughout the time she was with us that she maintains the character, mental capacity and temperament required by the legal profession.”