Biography

Kathleen Zellner has the rare distinction of having won major verdicts in civil and criminal cases. Most trial attorneys only try cases in one area of law.  Ms. Zellner has won first degree murder trials, multi-million dollar civil verdicts, criminal and civil appeals, and post-conviction exonerations.

She is the only trial attorney in the United States who has won 5 multi-million dollar record verdicts in the span of 11 months.  She currently has the highest civil rights verdict in the United States calculated per months of incarceration, totaling $1 million per month.  Additionally, she has the highest false arrest settlement, calculated at $15,555 per minute for a total of $1.4 million for a 90 minute false arrest. There is no other civil rights attorney in the United States who has won larger verdicts when the months of incarceration or the minutes of false arrest are calculated. By monthly comparison, a $21 million verdict for 11 years would be $159,000 per month. Another example is a $9 million verdict for 4 years imprisonment, totals $187,500 per month.

The underlying premise of Zellner’s remarkable success is that she is not just “practicing” law, she is getting unparalleled results. Her ability to win in the courtroom, no matter the type of case, is the result of her creative trial strategies to winning for the victims of injustice.

Areas of Practice

  • Civil Rights Violations

  • Medical Malpractice

  • Prisoner Abuse

  • Criminal Appeals

  • Post-conviction and Habeas Actions

  • Sexual Assault Civil Liability

Honors

  • Martindale - Hubbell Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers - AV Rating, 2000 - 2023

  • Member of the American Board of Trial Advocates, 2020 - 2023 (invitation only)

  • Fellow of the American Bar Foundation, 2012 - 2023 (invitation only)

  • Fellow of Litigation Counsel of America, 2013 - 2023; Senior Charter Fellow - 2023 (invitation only)

  • Lawdragon Member, 2015- 2023; Top 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyer, 2023 (invitation only)

  • National Association of Distinguished Counsel -Nations One Percent, 2017 - 2023 (invitation only)

  • National Trial Lawyers Top 100 (Illinois), 2013 - 2023 (invitation only)

  • Million Dollar Advocates Forum; Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, 1999 - 2023 

  • Super Lawyers (medical malpractice), 2005 - 2023 

  • Best of the Best Top 10 Criminal Defense Law Attorney, 2024

  • Super Lawyers Top 50 Female Lawyers in the United States, 2006

  • Leading Lawyers in Illinois in civil appellate law, civil rights/constitutional law, criminal appellate law,  criminal defense law: felonies & misdemeanors, personal injury law: professional malpractice, 2023; Top 100 Lawyers in Illinois - all areas of law

  • Leading Lawyers in Illinois the top female criminal defense attorney in Illinois, 2012, 2017

  • Chicago Magazine - 100 Most Powerful Chicagoans, 2015

  • National Law Journal Pro Bono Attorney of the Year, 2002

  • Top Ten Most Influential Attorneys in Illinois, American Research Corporation, 2001

  • Chicago Tribune - The Year in Women - Top Influential Women Internationally, 2001

  • National Law Journal Pro Bono Attorney of the Year, 2002

  • National Law Journal America’s Top 50 Women Litigators, 2001

  • National Law Journal Ten of America’s Top Litigators for Successful Strategies, 2000

Awards

  • Chicago Lawyer Magazine Person of the Year, 2014

  • Litigation Counsel of America’s Peter Perlman National Service Award, 2013

  • American Bar Association Pursuit of Justice Award, 2012

  • Winner of the Illinois Trial Excellence Award & Highest Jury Verdict for False Arrest, 2011

  • Illinois State Crime Commission Champion of Justice Award, 2005

significant verdicts / settlements

Kathleen Zellner is the only attorney in the United States to have won 5 multi-million-dollar verdicts in the span of 11 months. 

  • Kevin Fox - Highest pre-trial detention verdict in the United States (15.5 million reduced on appeal to 8.5 million) for 8 months of incarceration.

  • Ray Spencer - Highest verdict in in the United States (9 million) for fabrication of evidence inducing an Alford Plea.

  • Jerry Hobbs - Second highest settlement in the United States for pre-trial detention (7.75 million);

  • Maryann Martino - Highest suicide verdict in the United States at the time (6.5 million reduced from 13.5 million because of victim’s contributory negligence) 

  • Multiple million dollar awards and settlements for sexual assault, medical malpractice, and civil rights.

Exonerations

Kathleen Zellner has obtained the release of 20 inmates on the basis of newly discovered evidence, including DNA. This is highest number of exonerations for a private attorney in the United States.

Cle presentations

In addition to being a Guest Panelist at the Appellate Judges Educational Institute National Seminar in Dallas, Texas (2015), Kathleen Zellner has presented numerous seminars on wrongful convictions for the Illinois Bar Association CLE program.

Media

Kathleen Zellner’s cases have been profiled on 48 Hours, Dateline, 20/20, Good Morning America, The Today Show, A&E, Oprah and in various print media such as the New York Times Magazine, LA Times Magazine, Boston Globe, San Francisco Chronicle, The Orlando Sentinel, Daily Mail, The ABA Journal. She currently represents Steven Avery whose case was featured in the internationally acclaimed documentary, Making a Murderer (Season 2) and the documentary, Dream Killer, profiling the Ryan Ferguson exoneration.

Licenses and pro hac vice admissions

FEDERAL COURTS

1) United States Supreme Court

2) U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois

3) U.S. District Court, Central District of Illinois

4) U.S. District Court, Southern District of Illinois

5) U.S. District Court, Western District of Missouri

6) U.S. District Court, Western District of Oklahoma

7) U.S. District Court, Western District of Michigan

8) U.S. District Court, Western District of Arkansas

9) U.S. District Court, Western District of Tennessee

10) U.S. District Court, Western District of Washington

11) U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota

12) 4th Circuit Court of Appeals

13) 5th Circuit Court of Appeals

14) 6th Circuit Court of Appeal

15) 7th Circuit Court of Appeals

16) 8th Circuit Court of Appeals

17) 9th Circuit Court of Appeals

18) 10th Circuit Court of Appeals

19) 11th Circuit Court of Appeals

STATE COURTS

20) State of Illinois

21) Circuit Court of Manitowoc County, Wisconsin

22) Circuit Court of Cole County, Missouri

23) Circuit Court of Benton County, Arkansas

24) Circuit Court of Fairfax County, Virginia

25) Circuit Court of Miami, Florida

26) Orleans Criminal District Court, Louisiana

27) 1st District Court of Appeals, Illinois

28) 2nd District Court of Appeals, Illinois

29) 3rd District Court of Appeals, Illinois

30) 4th District Court of Appeals, Illinois

31) 5th District Court of Appeals, Illinois

32) Missouri Court of Appeals, Western Division

33) Illinois Supreme Court

34) Iowa Supreme Court