Law professor at UMKC Law School in Kansas City, writing about procedural justice. Former Kansas state trial and appellate judge.https://bsky.app/profile/steveleben.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/steveleben.bsky.social/post/3mlgfv263yc2xThis week, I presented an educational program to the Kansas Court of Appeals on how to use AI to get better written decisions and meet procedural-justice principles. I also got to enjoy being back with the court and its staff and the great view. #kscourts #ksleg #UMKCLaw09 May 2026 14:02 +0000at://did:plc:3bv5hmqdbbgyie7c3wcuibui/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlgfv263yc2xhttps://bsky.app/profile/steveleben.bsky.social/post/3m4vcp443ks22What I learned today: while having ChatGPT calculate readability scores on the opinions I wrote in 13 years as an appellate judge, I learned that . . . I wrote 1.88 million words. Now I’m tired.05 Nov 2025 14:57 +0000at://did:plc:3bv5hmqdbbgyie7c3wcuibui/app.bsky.feed.post/3m4vcp443ks22https://bsky.app/profile/steveleben.bsky.social/post/3m446eykphc2kI was thinking today about what makes a slogan memorable, and I was struck by my recollection of “Zenith: the quality goes in before the name goes on.” I first heard it in the ‘60s (though it predates that). If the brand were still around, I’d probably still buy one. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhZ1L8xA_nU26 Oct 2025 15:03 +0000at://did:plc:3bv5hmqdbbgyie7c3wcuibui/app.bsky.feed.post/3m446eykphc2khttps://bsky.app/profile/steveleben.bsky.social/post/3lznuhcftjc2mLast week, I was on a Missouri Bar conference panel to talk about current threats to the rule of law. Under FCC licensing threats, ABC suspended Jimmy Kimmel the night before the presentation. It was a perfect (and transparent) example of a wider playbook. https://missouriindependent.com/2025/09/25/the-trump-administrations-playbook-of-coercing-speech-comes-into-focus/25 Sep 2025 11:38 +0000at://did:plc:3bv5hmqdbbgyie7c3wcuibui/app.bsky.feed.post/3lznuhcftjc2mhttps://bsky.app/profile/steveleben.bsky.social/post/3lznuhcftjc2mLast week, I was on a Missouri Bar conference panel to talk about current threats to the rule of law. Under FCC licensing threats, ABC suspended Jimmy Kimmel the night before the presentation. It was a perfect (and transparent) example of a wider playbook. https://missouriindependent.com/2025/09/25/the-trump-administrations-playbook-of-coercing-speech-comes-into-focus/25 Sep 2025 11:38 +0000at://did:plc:3bv5hmqdbbgyie7c3wcuibui/app.bsky.feed.post/3lznuhcftjc2mhttps://bsky.app/profile/steveleben.bsky.social/post/3lysgdsvlfs2uToday’s message of hope comes from a 1922 editorial by Pulitzer-Prize-winning Kansas newspaperman William Allen White. Still worth reading a century later. [contains quote post or other embedded content]14 Sep 2025 13:43 +0000at://did:plc:3bv5hmqdbbgyie7c3wcuibui/app.bsky.feed.post/3lysgdsvlfs2uhttps://bsky.app/profile/steveleben.bsky.social/post/3lvt7mvazcs2jCongratulations to Larkin Walsh, an excellent choice for the Kansas Supreme Court, chosen through merit selection. https://kansasreflector.com/2025/08/07/gov-laura-kelly-selects-leawood-attorney-to-fill-vacancy-on-kansas-supreme-court/a07 Aug 2025 17:00 +0000at://did:plc:3bv5hmqdbbgyie7c3wcuibui/app.bsky.feed.post/3lvt7mvazcs2jhttps://bsky.app/profile/steveleben.bsky.social/post/3lupunkum4k2vCongratulations to my colleague, Allen Rostron, on being named the Edward A. Smith/Missouri Chair in Law, the Constitution and Society at ⁦‪@UMKCLaw‬⁩. He is a great teacher and scholar—and so easy to work with. Congrats, Allen! https://www.umkc.edu/news/posts/2025/july/allen-rostron-named-edward-a-smithmissouri-chair-in-law-the-constitution-and-society.html#24 Jul 2025 15:41 +0000at://did:plc:3bv5hmqdbbgyie7c3wcuibui/app.bsky.feed.post/3lupunkum4k2vhttps://bsky.app/profile/steveleben.bsky.social/post/3lsct37uu7225This decision represents something that should never happen in a justice system: the nation’s highest court has ruled on an issue affecting millions—without explanation. Courts don’t have absolute power; they should be following rules. Without an explanation, who knows? [contains quote post or other embedded content]24 Jun 2025 00:17 +0000at://did:plc:3bv5hmqdbbgyie7c3wcuibui/app.bsky.feed.post/3lsct37uu7225https://bsky.app/profile/steveleben.bsky.social/post/3lrly6upo522kAfter you watch Michigan Law Prof. @leahlitman.bsky.social in this video explaining some of what has gone wrong with the US Supreme Court, get her book, Lawless, to read more. [contains quote post or other embedded content]14 Jun 2025 22:18 +0000at://did:plc:3bv5hmqdbbgyie7c3wcuibui/app.bsky.feed.post/3lrly6upo522khttps://bsky.app/profile/steveleben.bsky.social/post/3lrbmihnub22cThe next Kansas Supreme Court Justice will be Larkin Walsh, Chris Jayaram, or Amy Hanley. Jayaram and Hanley have been trial judges since 2016 and 2021 respectively. Walsh is a former Kansas Supreme Court law clerk who has practiced law since 2004. 1/10 Jun 2025 19:22 +0000at://did:plc:3bv5hmqdbbgyie7c3wcuibui/app.bsky.feed.post/3lrbmihnub22c