Topeka ? Topeka lawyer Larry Hendricks has been picked to replaced Shawnee County district judge Terry Bullock, whose controversial ruling forced Kansas legislators to dramatically boost spending on public schools.

Gov. Kathleen Sebelius made the appointment on Thursday, choosing the 57-year-old private practice lawyer from among three candidates.

Hendricks has spent 24 years as a lawyer, most recently as a partner at the firm of Stumbo, Hanson, & Hendricks in Topeka. He has focused primarily on municipal, family and business law, but also served as a city attorney in Alma, Auburn, Lecompton and Perry.

“He’s well-versed in the court system,” Sebelius said. “His experience in the courtroom, combined with his service in the community, will serve him and the people of Shawnee County well.”

Hendricks is unsure when he will start and is not certain what kind of cases he will be assigned.

Bullock announced in September that he planned to retire in January. He has spent 30 years on the bench and is one of the longest-serving district judges in the county’s history.

He presided over the trial of a lawsuit filed in 1999 by parents and administrators in the Dodge City and Salina school districts, claiming that the state spent too little on its schools and distributed the money unfairly.

In his December 2003 order, Bullock agreed and said legislators must provide more money to meet a constitutional duty to provide a suitable education to every child. Bullock didn’t set a figure but said the increase could be $1 billion annually.

“I have lived my entire life within an 80-mile radius,” he said upon announcing his retirement. “I’d like to do something a little different.”