Max Kautsch takes over as Legal Hotline attorney

Max Kautsch, a graduate of Washburn University School of Law, has been named the new Legal Hotline attorney for the Kansas Press Association.

Kautsch, 37, succeeds Mike Merriam, long-time media attorney who announced his retirement last week, citing ongoing health challenges. He will serve the Kansas Association of Broadcasters in a similar capacity.

In his practice, Kautsch specializes in helping clients assert and protect First Amendment rights and has practiced law since 2003 in a variety of fields including criminal defense, landlord/tenant and entertainment law.

He lives in Lawrence with his wife, Sierra.

He is the son of Dr. Mike Kautsch, professor of law at the University of Kansas and media law consultant to KPA.

Since 2014, he has litigated on behalf of media clients seeking access to probable cause affidavits and other criminal court records in Labette, Franklin and Douglas counties. He represents the University Daily Kansan and has assisted student journalists in requesting and analyzing public records under the Kansas Open Records Act and the federal Freedom of Information Act.

Kautsch blogs regularly about First Amendment and open-government issues. He has testified and otherwise served as an advocate on proposed legislation studied by the Kansas Judicial Council and supported by the Kansas Press Association and the Kansas Association of Broadcasters.

Kautsch also serves as the Kansas liaison for the national Records Preservation and Access Committee, which is a genealogist-backed organization supporting access to public records.

If you have hotline questions for him, he can be reached on his cell phone at (785) 393-5520 or by email at maxk@kautschlaw.com. He will operate under the same guidelines as his predecessor: the initial call for advice will be covered by KPA. Any legal advice beyond that will be negotiated between the two parties.