Jacqueline R. Butler

Practice Areas

Education

Virginia Wesleyan College, B.A., summa cum laude, 1999
Washburn University School of Law, J.D., magna cum laude, 2003

Jacque joined Adams Jones in 2023 following 9 years of service as the City Attorney for the City of Derby. Her practice focuses on Real Estate issues that include zoning, planning & development, agriculture, natural resources, and water. Jacque’s practice also includes municipal law and estate planning services.

Jacque is a practical adviser and out-of-the-box thinker focused on helping her clients achieve workable solutions. Many years in public service have prepared Jacque to assist clients navigating complex legal situations by mapping long-term legal strategies, adjusting quickly to the unexpected, and identifying alternate solutions. Her experience includes zoning disputes, annexation, ag lease disputes, water rights and service territory negotiations, design & construction contracts, open government compliance, and lease & easement negotiations for wind, oil & gas, and pipelines.

Jacque grew up in Kinsley, KS, observing her father’s small town law practice. Prior to her work in Derby, Jacque was a partner with a firm in Larned where her practice included real estate and estate planning, and she also served as the City Attorney. Jacque began her legal career in Hannibal, MO, as an associate with Briscoe, Rodenbaugh, & Brannon, and later also served as in-house counsel at Kansas State University and as a research attorney to the Honorable Nancy Moritz during Judge Moritz’s time on the Kansas Court of Appeals. Jacque is a graduate of Virginia Wesleyan College and Washburn University School of Law and is a member of the Kansas Bar Association, Wichita Bar Association, and the Wichita Women Attorneys Association. She is past president of the City Attorneys Association of Kansas and has presented numerous trainings to city attorneys, government employees, & elected officials on planning & zoning, annexation, open government practices, and municipal law.

Outside of work, Jacque enjoys spending time with her family, reading, and supporting her daughters in their AFJROTC, 4-H, and theatre activities.

Professional Memberships

Wichita Bar Association
Wichita Women Attorneys Association
Kansas Bar Association
City Attorney Association of Kansas (President 2021-2022, Board Member)

Seminar Presentations

City Attorneys Association of Kansas CLE Meetings
- - City Attorney 101: Annexation, June 2022
  - KOMA/KORA, October 2021, Joint Presentation with Amanda Stanley
  - Annexation: Planning & Process, October 2018
  - A Funny Thing Happened On The Way Through a Rezoning…Planning for Planning & Zoning Challenges, June 2018, Joint Presentation with Ron Shaver
The Kansas Open Records Act: What It Is, How to Apply It, and What HR Needs to Know, IPMA-HR Kansas, October 2022
Introduction to Planning & Zoning, LKM Municipal Training Institute, May 2022, May 2021, September 2019