Atchison County court services chief wins 2026 Liberty Bell Award

Tom Weishaar, a longtime 1st Judicial District official whose work reaches Atchison County residents every day, has been selected for the 2026 Liberty Bell Award for service that has strengthened the administration of justice and public understanding of the law.

The Leavenworth County Bar Association presented the award during its annual Law Day ceremony, recognizing Weishaar’s decades in court services and the role he has played in a district that includes both Atchison and Leavenworth counties. Weishaar began his court services career in February 1986 and became chief court services officer in January 2000, giving him nearly four decades in a post that many people only notice when a case, supervision matter or court requirement affects their own family.

That long tenure matters locally because court services is the kind of work that keeps the legal system functioning from the inside. In Atchison County, where residents rely on the 1st Judicial District through the Atchison County Courthouse and other district operations, the chief court services officer helps oversee the process behind cases that move through the system and the guidance people need to navigate court procedures. The recognition places Weishaar not just in a professional spotlight, but in a civic one, acknowledging the day-to-day work that helps courts stay orderly and accessible.

The honor also comes with broader statewide recognition of Weishaar’s standing in the field. Kansas courts say he was re-elected president of the Kansas Association of Court Services Officers in November 2025, and the current 1st Judicial District directory still lists him as chief court services officer. The district’s court directory also provides his office contact information in Leavenworth, underscoring how closely tied the district’s leadership is to both counties it serves.

Law Day 2026 centered on the American Bar Association theme, “The Rule of Law and the American Dream,” a fitting backdrop for an award meant for a non-lawyer who has advanced justice and public understanding of the law. For Atchison County, Weishaar’s recognition is a reminder that some of the most important public work happens away from the courtroom spotlight, in the steady administration that keeps the system moving for residents who depend on it.