Lawyer involved in child welfare will be Sedgwick County’s newest district court judge
Grant Brazill, a Wichita-based attorney and child welfare and family practitioner, has been appointed to serve as the newest judge in the 18th Judicial District.
In a news release, Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly said Brazill’s involvement in child welfare and family law made him an ideal appointee for the position, which was left vacant after the death of Judge Bruce Brown in August.
A University of Kansas School of Law graduate and Wichita native, Brazill has been practicing law since 2015. He is currently a partner at Morris Laing Law Firm and the chairperson of the Wichita Bar Association Juvenile Law Committee.
In a news release, Brazill said he was honored by the appointment and committed to “ensuring that every individual who comes before the Court is treated with dignity, respect, and impartiality.”
In 2022, he was appointed to the Kansas Supreme Court’s Task Force on Permanency Planning, a committee of 21 members who assess how Kansas courts can improve the care of children in the court’s jurisdiction. The group also helps implement statewide child welfare training, review federally funded children and family services and develop strategic plans for child welfare oversight.
“Grant Brazill brings robust legal experience as a child welfare practitioner to the bench,” Kelly said in a news release. “His dedication to fighting for the rights and well-being of children and families gives him a unique perspective that will serve the 18th Judicial District well.”
Brown was first elected to the Sedgwick County District Court in 2008 and served in the role until his death. District court judges in the 18th Judicial District are elected to serve four-year terms but, in the event of a vacancy, the governor appoints a new judge to finish out the term. Brown was last elected in 2024 after running unopposed. The news release said the seat will be up for election in 2026.
