• Nov 18, 2013
  • Monnat & Spurrier

Monnat & Spurrier, Chartered Ranked Among Best Law Firms As Rated by U.S. News & World Report – Best Lawyers

(WICHITA, Kan.) – “Best Law Firms” – a listing produced by U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers – has ranked Monnat & Spurrier, Chartered among the Best Law Firms in this metropolitan region in two categories:

    • Appellate Practice
    • Criminal Defense: White-Collar

The rankings are posted online at Bestlawfirms.usnews.com.

“Best Law Firms” is one of U.S. News & World Report’s series of consumer guides. The magazine teams with Best Lawyers, the oldest peer-review publication in the legal profession, to rank each practice area by geographic region. In surveys, law firm clients and leading lawyers were asked what factors they considered vital for clients who hire firms, and for lawyers who choose firms to refer legal matters to.

Monnat & Spurrier was founded in 1985 by defense attorney Dan Monnat and legal scholar Stan Spurrier. The firm has six lawyers and has gained an international reputation through its defense of such high-profile clients as late-term abortion provider Dr. George Tiller, the Garden Plain football coach, Todd Puetz, and the unfortunate person whose home was mistakenly raided by police as being that of serial killer BTK.

In addition to Monnat and Spurrier, the firm includes three former prosecutors and a former public defender, all noted for their work in criminal courts: Trevor Riddle, Sal Intagliata, Jon McConnell and Robb Hunter.

Dan Monnat
Monnat & Spurrier, Chartered
200 W. Douglas, Suite 830
Wichita, KS  67202
316.264.2800

  • Nov 08, 2013
  • Monnat & Spurrier

Lawyer of the Year — Criminal Defense: Non-White-Collar
Lawyer of the Year — Daniel E. Monnat
Monnat & Spurrier Chartered
Education: JD, Creighton University.
Years as a lawyer: 37.

Firms at which you’ve worked: Monnat & Spurrier, Chartered, 1985-present; Fisher & Monnat, 1983-1985; Shulz, Fry & Fisher, 1977-1983; Schrempp & McQuade (Omaha), 1976-1977.

Why did you choose to become a lawyer? I wanted to lend whatever boldness and artistic talent I had to those less able to stand up and fight for themselves. Whether you justify that by the Tao, the Sermon on the Mount or the United States Constitution, that’s a good thing to do. All power and authority need someone to question it. And, each of us, at one time or another, needs someone to understand us and give voice to our humanity. The combination results in what we all crave: justice and freedom.

What is your favorite thing about practicing law? The jury system. Every day, ordinary people come together and, as a group, unite to rise above the prejudices and politics of the day. Again and again, these citizens deliver justice and freedom.

What’s the biggest challenge facing the legal profession? The vanishing jury trial. The jury trial is one of “The People’s” checks and balances on the three branches of government involved in our legal system. But, increasingly, jury trials do not occur.

Who has been your mentor? I’ve been very lucky throughout my life to have had a number of very generous mentors: my parents for everything, Mike Finnigan for music, Father Bob Williams for writing and philosophy, the celebrated Wyoming attorney Gerry Spence for trial skills and understanding the group dynamics of juries. Foremost, however, I have had the mentorship and guidance of my wife, the incomparable Chinese martial artist Grace Wu-Monnat, whose intuitive and intelligent study of people, and particularly jurors, has guided and assisted me in every trial for the last 22 years. Like the culture she comes from, her wisdom is ancient and awesome.

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