Kathleen Zellner facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kathleen T. Zellner
Born	Midland, Texas
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 lawyer from America. She is well-known for helping people who were wrongly found guilty of crimes. She works hard to prove their innocence and get them out of prison. Some of her famous clients include Steven Avery, who was featured in the Netflix show Making a Murderer. She also helped Kevin Fox, who was wrongly accused of a serious crime, and Ryan W. Ferguson. Kathleen Zellner has helped many people, with 20 of her clients being officially cleared of their charges.

Early Life and Education

Kathleen Zellner was born in Midland, Texas. She was the second of seven children in her family. Her father, Owen Thomas, worked with rocks and the Earth as a geologist. 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 Marquette University and then the University of Missouri. She earned her first degree, a Bachelor of Arts (BA), from Concordia University in Montreal, Canada. In 1981, she earned her law degree, called a Juris Doctor (JD), from the Northern Illinois University College of Law. While there, she was the main editor for the Law Review, a special journal for legal topics. She also worked for a judge named George W. Lindberg.

Her Work as a Lawyer

In 1991, Kathleen Zellner started her own law firm, Kathleen T. Zellner & Associates. It is located in Downers Grove, Illinois. Her firm focuses on cases where people were wrongly convicted of crimes. They also handle cases about civil rights (your basic rights as a person) and situations where prisoners were treated unfairly.

Kathleen Zellner has helped many people prove their innocence. By October 2018, she had helped 19 people get their convictions overturned. Now, that number is 20 people who have been officially cleared. One lawyer even said that facing her in court was "worse than my divorce," showing how tough she is!

By March 2016, she had won almost $90 million for her clients. These wins came from cases where people were wrongly convicted or received bad medical care. For example, she won $15.5 million for Kevin Fox in 2007 because his civil rights were violated. She also won $11 million for Ryan W. Ferguson in Missouri, who had spent 10 years in jail for a crime he didn't commit. In 2014, she won $9 million for Ray Spencer in Washington. In 2012, she received a special award called the "Pursuit of Justice" Award from the American Bar Association.

In 2022, Kathleen Zellner helped actor Johnny Depp during his famous court case against Amber Heard. She worked as a consultant, offering her expert advice.

Personal Life

Kathleen Zellner is married to Robert Zellner. He works with money and investments as a commodities and bond trader. He also has a high degree in economics. They have a daughter named Anne, who is also a lawyer.

On Screen Appearances

Kathleen Zellner has appeared in several films and TV shows, often playing herself as a lawyer.

Film Appearances

Television Appearances