Kathleen Zellner

Kathleen Zellner is an American attorney who has worked extensively in wrongful conviction advocacy. Notable clients Zellner has represented include Steven Avery (who was the subject of the 2015 and 2018 Netflix series Making a Murderer), Kevin Fox (who was falsely accused of murdering his daughter), Ryan W. Ferguson, Larry Eyler, and 19 exonerees who are listed in the National Registry of Exonerations.

Kathleen T. Zellner
Born
Midland, Texas
Alma materConcordia University (BA)
Northern Illinois University (JD)
OccupationAttorney
Known forWrongful conviction advocacy and civil litigation verdicts
SpouseRobert Zellner
Websitekathleentzellner.com

Early life and education

Kathleen Zellner was born in Midland, Texas, the second of seven children.[1][2] Her father Owen Thomas was a geologist, and her mother Winifred was a chemist who became a nurse.[3][4][2][5] When she was nine years old, she and her family moved to Bartlesville, Oklahoma.[6][7][8]

She attended Marquette University in Wisconsin, and then the University of Missouri, before graduating with a B.A. from Concordia University in Montreal, Canada.[9][2][10] She received her Juris Doctor from the Northern Illinois University College of Law in 1981, where she was Editor-in-Chief of the Law Review, and clerked for 2nd District Illinois Appellate Court justice George W. Lindberg.[11][8]

Career

She opened her firm, Kathleen T. Zellner & Associates in Downers Grove, Illinois, in 1991. Her firm handles wrongful conviction cases, civil rights violations, medical malpractice, and prisoner abuse cases.[2] Zellner had achieved 19 exonerations as of October 2018, and now 20 exonerations for clients.[10][12][13]

Notable clients Zellner has represented include Steven Avery (who was the subject of the 2015 and 2018 Netflix series Making a Murderer), Kevin Fox (who was falsely accused of murdering his three-year-old daughter), and 19 exonerees who are listed in the National Registry of Exonerations. Newsweek reported that a lawyer said that facing her at trial was "worse than my divorce."[12]

As of March 2016, she had won almost $90 million from wrongful conviction and medical malpractice lawsuits.[12] In 2000, The National Law Journal named Zellner a top ten trial lawyer in the United States for a suicide malpractice verdict of $13 million.[14] She also won a $15.5 million verdict for the violation of Kevin Fox's civil rights in 2007, an $11 million verdict for Ryan W. Ferguson in Missouri who had served 10 years in jail, and a $9 million civil rights verdict for Ray Spencer in Washington in 2014.[14][15] In 2012, she won the American Bar Association "Pursuit of Justice" Award.[9]

In 2022, Zellner served as a consultant to Johnny Depp on the Depp vs Heard defamation trial. [16]

Personal life

Her husband Robert Zellner is a commodities and bond trader with a doctorate in economics. They have a daughter, Anne, who is also an attorney.[15]

Filmography
Film
YearFilmRoleDirector
2015dream/killerHerself (Ryan Ferguson's attorney)Andrew Jenks
2018 Making a Murderer Herself (Steven Avery's attorney) Laura Ricciardi & Moira Demos

Television
Television
YearShowRoleNotes
2013-201448 HoursHerself (Ryan Ferguson's attorney)season 26, episode 19
2014-201620/20Herself (Attorney)2 episodes
2016Dateline NBCHerself (Ryan Ferguson's attorney)season 24, episode 22
2017I, WitnessHerselfseason 1, episode 3
2018Making a MurdererHerself (Steven Avery's post-conviction attorney)season 2, 10 episodes
202120/20Herself (Kevin Fox's attorney)season 43, episode 24: "The Accused"

References
  1. "Hotshot Lawyer; Meet Making a Murder's Kathleen Zellner," The Daily Telegraph, November 13, 2018.
  2. Minutaglio, Rose (October 31, 2018). "Who Is Steven Avery's Attorney Kathleen Zellner?". Esquire. Retrieved March 13, 2020.
  3. Chris Harvey (November 18, 2018). "'If you're rich, you can get away with murder' - Making a Murderer lawyer Kathleen Zellner," Independent.
  4. Julie-Anne Barnes (November 25, 2018). "Making a Murderer lawyer Kathleen Zellner reveals incredible links to Scotland," Daily Record.
  5. McGreal, Chris (October 28, 2018). "Kathleen Zellner: the Making a Murderer lawyer you want on your side". The Guardian. Retrieved March 13, 2020.
  6. "Attorney keeps winning freedom for wrongfully convicted; Millionaire medical malpractice lawyer has time, money to defend clients". nwitimes.com. December 9, 2001. Retrieved March 14, 2020.
  7. Alex Rodriguez (December 9, 2001). "Lawyer in Roscetti case offers forgotten a lifeline," Chicago Tribune.
  8. Stephanie Francis Cahill (March 2002). "Attorney for the Damned". ABA Journal. Retrieved March 14, 2020.
  9. "Kathleen T. Zellner," Martindale.
  10. Tracy Swartz (October 18, 2018). "5 things about Chicago-area lawyer Kathleen Zellner as she makes her 'Making a Murderer' debut", Chicago Tribune.
  11. John Flynn Rooney (April 22, 2014). "Zellner a champion of exonerations". Chicago Law Bulletin. Retrieved March 13, 2020.
  12. Saul, Josh (March 29, 2016). "Steve Avery's New Attorney Is Going Hard After the Cops She Says Framed Him". Newsweek. Retrieved March 13, 2020.
  13. "Browse the National Registry of Exonerations". Law.umich.edu.
  14. "Top Rated Downers Grove, IL Civil Rights Attorney | Kathleen Zellner | Super Lawyers". Profiles.superlawyers.com. Retrieved March 14, 2020.
  15. Emma Ledger. "Why Making a Murderer’s Kathleen Zellner is going to be your next TV obsession," Stylist.
  16. "EXCLUSIVE: Johnny Depp Team's Legal Consultant, of 'Making a Murderer' Fame, Reacts to Verdict". YouTube.
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