Kathleen Zellner facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kathleen T. Zellner
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| Alma mater | Concordia University (BA) Northern Illinois University (JD) |
| Occupation | Attorney |
| Known for | Wrongful conviction advocacy and civil litigation verdicts |
| Spouse(s) | Robert Zellner |
Kathleen Zellner is a well-known American lawyer. She is famous for helping people who were wrongly accused of crimes. She has helped many people prove their innocence and get out of prison.
Some of her famous clients include Steven Avery, who was featured in the Netflix series Making a Murderer. She also helped Kevin Fox, who was falsely accused of a crime, and Ryan W. Ferguson. Kathleen Zellner has helped many people who are now listed in the National Registry of Exonerations. This registry keeps track of people who were wrongly convicted and later proven innocent.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Kathleen Zellner was born in Midland, Texas, on May 7, 1949. She was the second of seven children in her family. Her father, Owen Thomas, was a geologist, who studies rocks and the Earth. Her mother, Winifred, was a chemist who later became a nurse. When Kathleen was nine years old, her family moved to Bartlesville, Oklahoma.
She went to college at Concordia University in Montreal, Canada, where she earned a bachelor's degree. Later, she went to law school at the Northern Illinois University College of Law. She graduated in 1981 with her law degree. While in law school, she was a leader for the school's Law Review magazine. She also worked for a judge named George W. Lindberg in Illinois.
Career Highlights
In 1991, Kathleen Zellner started her own law firm called Kathleen T. Zellner & Associates. Her office is in Downers Grove, Illinois. Her firm focuses on cases where people were wrongly convicted of crimes. They also handle cases where people's civil rights were violated, or where they were hurt by medical mistakes.
By October 2018, Zellner had helped 19 people prove their innocence and be released from prison. Now, she has helped 20 people get their freedom back.
Some of her most famous cases involve clients like Steven Avery. He was the subject of the popular Netflix series Making a Murderer in 2015 and 2018. She also represented Kevin Fox, who was falsely accused of a serious crime. Many of her clients are listed in the National Registry of Exonerations. Other lawyers have said that facing her in court is very challenging.
By March 2016, Kathleen Zellner had won almost $90 million for her clients. These winnings came from lawsuits involving wrongful convictions and medical mistakes. In 2000, a major legal newspaper, The National Law Journal, named her one of the top ten trial lawyers in the United States. This was after she won $13 million in a medical malpractice case.
She also won $15.5 million for Kevin Fox in 2007 because his civil rights were violated. In 2011, she won $11 million for Ryan W. Ferguson in Missouri. He had spent 10 years in jail for a crime he did not commit. In 2014, she won $9 million for Ray Spencer in Washington in another civil rights case. In 2012, she received the "Pursuit of Justice" Award from the American Bar Association. This award recognizes lawyers who work hard to achieve fairness and justice.
Personal Life
Kathleen Zellner is married to Robert Zellner. He works with money and investments, and he has a special degree in economics. They have a daughter named Anne, who is also a lawyer.
Appearances in Film and Television
Kathleen Zellner has appeared in several films and TV shows. These shows often highlight her work on important legal cases.
Film Appearances
- 2015: dream/killer – She appeared as herself, as the lawyer for Ryan W. Ferguson.
Television Appearances
- 2013-2014: 48 Hours – She appeared as herself, as Ryan W. Ferguson's attorney.
- 2014-2016: 20/20 – She appeared as herself, as an attorney in two episodes.
- 2016: Dateline NBC – She appeared as herself, as Ryan W. Ferguson's attorney.
- 2017: I, Witness – She appeared as herself.
- 2018: Making a Murderer – She appeared as herself, as Steven Avery's lawyer after his conviction. She was in 10 episodes of the second season.
- 2021: 20/20 – She appeared as herself, as Kevin Fox's attorney in an episode called "The Accused."
