Ruth Anne French

Ruth Anne French is chair of the board of directors at The Land Institute. She grew up on her family’s fifth-generation farm in south-central Kansas. She graduated with a degree in political science, earning honors and the highest distinction, from the University of Kansas, and then received both her master’s and doctoral degrees in Politics from the University of Oxford, supported by a Rhodes Scholarship. In 2012, Ruth Anne received her law degree from Yale Law School. After clerking in federal district and appellate courts, Ruth Anne moved back to Kansas to work as an attorney on complex litigation and appeals. She currently represents consumers, landowners, farmers, and other plaintiffs to ensure their voices are represented in large class actions as a partner at Sharp Law in Prairie Village, Kansas. Ruth Anne is also firmly committed to providing pro bono services in a wide range of areas, from voting rights to representing individuals fighting wrongful criminal convictions to assisting those facing dental neglect in state prisons. She is also focused on building and highlighting sustainable agriculture in the Midwest, most notably through her service on the board of The Land Institute.