The University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law received a $1 million gift from Scott S. Bethune (J.D. '88). His gift will be used to create an endowed scholarship fund, the Scott S. Bethune Scholarship, dedicated to students from Southeast Missouri.

“Scott sets the standard for alumni leadership,” said Lumen Mulligan, dean of the º£½ÇÂÛ̳ School of Law. “He is selfless with his time, having served the law school and foundation in nearly every capacity. He is generous with his wisdom, acting as wise counsel for law school leaders for years. And, as this most recent gift illustrates, he is strategic with his gifts. This fund will benefit future º£½ÇÂÛ̳ Law students for generations.”

Bethune, a native of Portageville, MO, hopes the scholarship will create more awareness of the º£½ÇÂÛ̳ School of Law in Southeast Missouri and encourage students to begin their legal careers here.

“When I came to Kansas City in 1985, I knew one person,” Bethune said. “I had only been to Kansas City a few times, it seemed so far away back then. But it’s not really, and there are great opportunities to practice whatever type of law you’re interested in by going to law school here. I feel very fortunate to have attended º£½ÇÂÛ̳ Law.”

When Bethune arrived in Kansas City for law school, he had every intention of returning to New Madrid County to practice law. The connections and opportunities he found while in law school kept him in Kansas City, where he is a pillar of the legal community.

Bethune is a founding member of Davis, Bethune & Jones LLC. He and the other founding members – Grant Davis (J.D. '87) and Tom Jones (J.D. '88) – became fast friends while law students, thanks in part to the 1985 World Series.

“The part of Missouri I grew up in was all St. Louis Cardinals territory, but of course Kansas City has the Royals,” Bethune said. “In 1985, the Cardinals and Royals both had great playoff runs and made the World Series. A lot of the friends I’m still in touch with today are people I met during that playoff run when we watched games together. Tom and Grant are both from St. Louis and we got to know each other watching the World Series. Baseball gave us a common connection, and now we’ve been law partners for a very long time.”

Before founding Davis, Bethune & Jones LLC, Bethune worked as a clerk and trial attorney for several other firms in Kansas City, including under notable º£½ÇÂÛ̳ Law alumnus Lantz Welch. Welch’s groundbreaking work in plaintiff’s personal injury law and a fateful elevator ride led Bethune to establish a successful career in personal injury/wrongful death and complex litigation.

Working for a defense firm at the time, Bethune was in an elevator with Welch, Davis and Tim Brake (J.D. '73). They asked if he had ever considered doing plaintiff’s work, a question Bethune thought may have been a joke at first. He soon realized it wasn’t, chose to miss his stop and stayed on the elevator for another 10 floors to have a life-changing conversation.

After joining the firm with Welch, Davis and Brake, Bethune discovered how fulfilling plaintiff’s work could be.

“I saw the opportunity to really help people in their most dire times of needs,” Bethune said. “People don’t have us on retainer, they come to us when tragedy occurs, when something really bad has happened. When we meet with clients, 95% of them tell us that they’ve never had to hire a lawyer. But they also never anticipated being harmed through no fault of their own, or due to someone else’s recklessness. Doing this kind of work, you have a bond with folks that you represent. We become partners with our clients, and we’re invested in what’s best for them.”

Bethune has been recognized with numerous awards for his work, including being named a Lawyer of the Year five times by Best Lawyers, earning the Super Lawyer recognition by Thomson Reuters and being named a fellow with the American College of Trial Lawyers, the International Academy of Trial lawyers, the International Society of Barristers and Litigation Counsel of America.

As immediate past president of the º£½ÇÂÛ̳ Law Foundation Board of Trustees and longtime supporter of the law school, the Scott S. Bethune Scholarship is an extension of much of the work Bethune already does.

“This scholarship will support students far into the future,” said Marie Dispenza, executive director of the º£½ÇÂÛ̳ Law Foundation. “In addition to this scholarship, he and his partners have long supported the trial advocacy program through their firm. This is part of Scott’s legacy and long-term commitment to supporting the º£½ÇÂÛ̳ School of Law as an alum.”

When asked about what he hopes this scholarship will accomplish, Bethune reflected on the opportunities he’s been given and hopes to pass those along to others. He was the first member of his family to become a lawyer and, since he attended law school, has had two cousins and a son who also attended law school.

“Coming to º£½ÇÂÛ̳ opened up opportunities not just for me, but also for my family,” Bethune said. “It gave the viewpoint that becoming a lawyer was a possibility. I hope this scholarship will provide the same for students and their families. Opportunities are only limited by how you apply yourself; don’t be afraid to pursue what’s offered to you.”

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