Editing Fred Phelps (section)

====Early civil rights career====
Phelps earned a law degree from [[Washburn University]] in 1964, and founded the Phelps Chartered law firm.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://cjonline.com/indepth/phelps/stories/080394_phelps16.shtml|title=Phelps' Law Career Checkered|work=[[The Topeka Capital-Journal]]|access-date=December 10, 2012|last1=Taschler|first1=Joe|last2=Fry|first2=Steve|date=August 3, 1994|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130101115350/http://cjonline.com/indepth/phelps/stories/080394_phelps16.shtml|archive-date=January 1, 2013}}</ref> In 1969, upon a finding of professional misconduct, authorities suspended him from practicing as a lawyer for two years.<ref name="phelps_dies_2014_03_20_wichita_eagle" />

Phelps' second notable cases were related to [[civil rights]], and his involvement in civil rights cases in and around Kansas gained him praise from local African-American leaders.<ref name="phelps_dies_2014_03_20_wichita_eagle" />

"I systematically brought down the [[Jim Crow]] laws of this town", he claimed.<ref name="lauerman1999">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.motherjones.com/politics/1999/03/man-who-loves-hate|title=The Man Who Loves To Hate|last=Lauerman|first=Kerry|date=March–April 1999|magazine=[[Mother Jones (magazine)|Mother Jones]]|access-date=December 10, 2012}}</ref> Phelps' daughter [[Shirley Phelps-Roper]]<!--which one??--> was quoted as saying, "We took on the Jim Crow establishment, and Kansas did not take that sitting down. They used to shoot our car windows out, screaming we were nigger lovers." She added that the Phelps law firm made up one-third of the state's federal docket of civil rights cases.<ref name="ocweekly1999">{{cite news|first=Donna|last=Ladd|url=http://www.ocweekly.com/1999-09-16/news/a-love-hate-thing/|title=A Love/Hate Thing|newspaper=[[OC Weekly]]|publisher=[[Voice Media]]|location=Long Beach, California|date=September 9, 1999|access-date=December 10, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121130235001/http://www.ocweekly.com/1999-09-16/news/a-love-hate-thing/|archive-date=November 30, 2012}}</ref>

Phelps took cases on behalf of African-American clients alleging [[racial discrimination]] by school systems, and a predominantly black [[American Legion]] post which had been raided by police, alleging racially based police abuse.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Swenson|first=Scott|title=Fred Phelps Returns: Judgment Day|journal=[[The Gay & Lesbian Review Worldwide]]|date=2010|volume=17|issue=5|url=http://www.glreview.com/article.php?articleid=256|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120114172331/http://www.glreview.com/article.php?articleid=256|archive-date=January 14, 2012}}</ref> Phelps' law firm obtained settlements for some clients.<ref name="taschler1994">{{cite news|first1=Joe|last1=Taschler|first2=Steve|last2=Fry|title=As a lawyer, Phelps was good in court|date=August 3, 1994|newspaper=[[The Topeka Capital-Journal]]|url=http://www.cjonline.com:80/indepth/phelps/stories/080394_phelps17.shtml|publisher=[[GateHouse Media]]|location=Topeka, Kansas|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030720111243/http://www.cjonline.com/indepth/phelps/stories/080394_phelps17.shtml|archive-date=July 20, 2003|access-date=July 20, 2003}}</ref>