History and Mission

Larned's largest employer is the Larned State Hospital, where a host of mental health treatment and incarceration problems arise each year.

Our senior partner, Don Burnett, helped enact, and draft, respectively, many of the mental health laws of our state. Ron Smith as General Counsel for the state bar association was instrumental in the enactment of changes to the state's insanity plea and defense.

Since 1933, we estimate that over 5,000 clients have come through our doors. Our senior "of counsel" member, Glee Smith, Jr., began practicing law in 1947. Don Burnett joined him in 1958, Jerry Larson in 1975, Ron Smith in 2005, and Jacqueline R. Butler in 2008.

Our small town roots holds down our costs. We have three attorneys and three assistants, but have a multi-county reach into west-Central Kansas.

In helping people decide whether they need a lawyer, our usual practice is to interview clients without charge. We do not render legal advice over the phone except to existing clients.

Our reputation has been carefully cultivated from the beginning to get at the work our clients want done with the least delay possible. We work hard to keep good clients that might need additional legal work in the future. We deal with clients on a human basis, not as cogs in a master plan of a mega firm.

We handle legal matters on fixed fees or hourly rates, or, in a few instances, a contingent or percentage based fee.

Please call or email us if we might assist with your legal questions.