Biography
Kathleen R. Urbom, Esq.
Kathleen R. Urbom attended St. Mary of the Plains College, in Dodge City, Kansas, and received a dual B.A. in history and psychology in 1973. She attended Washburn University Law School in Topeka, Kansas, receiving her Juris Doctor in 1980 and was admitted to the Kansas and United States bar in 1984. Immediately following law school, she clerked with Fisher, Patterson, Saylor, & Smith, a broad civil law firm in Topeka, Kansas. While Ms. Urbom was in law school, she simultaneously was raising five children with her husband, Paul. In 1984, Ms. Urbom opened her own practice, which she has maintained since then.
Ms. Urbom is a member of the American Bar Association (Litigation and Business Committees), Kansas Bar Association, Topeka Bar Association, Kansas Women’s Attorney Association, and Women’s Attorney Association of Topeka.
Ms. Urbom’s attorney rating listing can be found in Martindale-Hubbell, the national attorney locator corporation which ranks attorneys by areas of practice and skill levels. Ms. Urbom’s ranking is BV, “an indication of an exemplary reputation and well-established practice. A typical lawyer is in mid-career, with a significant client base and high professional standing” (quoting from Martindale-Hubbell).
Ms. Urbom has represented major local construction companies and provided service to them in the areas of corporate formation, commercial real estate transactions, equipment leasing, construction contract drafting and review. Ms. Urbom also undertakes civil litigation, whether plaintiff or defense, on behalf of clients for a variety of business needs. Ms. Urbom is an excellent negotiator whose outstanding skills often result in the settlement of disputes without the need for trial and the associated expenses. She has an innate ability to achieve compromise between diverse and adversarial parties.
Ms. Urbom also has extensive experience in special education law and has a strong commitment to serving the children of Kansas to ensure they receive the highest level of education and that their special needs are met by programs offered within the various school districts and private not-for-profit organizations in Kansas.
Ms. Urbom’s public service is extensive. She serves as Chair of the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee of the Topeka Chamber of Commerce, assisting local organizations in developing business in Topeka to build a strong economic base for the city. For similar reasons, she was elected to the Go Topeka Board of Directors. She is also an active member of the local chapter of the American Business Women’s Association (KEEN), and a member of the National Federation of Independent Business.
She currently is serving her second year of a four-year term on the Board of Directors of the Marian Clinic, and has been named Vice Chair of the Board of Directors for fiscal year 2005. Marian Clinic is a not-for-profit medical and dental clinic, sponsored by the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth, providing health care services to uninsured residents of Topeka who qualify for assistance.
Ms. Urbom also is a member of the Capper Foundation, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to serving local area disabled children, providing educational services and support. She is the Chair of the Planned Gifts Division of the Scholarship Assistance Campaign.