NACDL - National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
Life Member Directory
Life members are attorneys who have made an extraordinary commitment to support the work of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. By supporting NACDL at the highest dues level, they are accorded a lifetime membership as long as they continue to meet the standards for NACDL membership. In addition, they are listed in this special expanded life member directory, including bio and photograph, and receive a special award in recognition of their support for NACDL’s work.
Oversight Board Member, Harris County Public Defender; Board Member, Thurgood Marshall School of Law Innocence Project; Past Oversight Board Member, Regional Public Defender for Capital Cases (TX);Past Board Member, Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Legal Education Institute; Certified Capital Defense Counsel, NY; Member, Board of Directors, NACDL (2003-06); Past President, New York State Assn. of Criminal Defense Lawyers; 2016 Premier Woman in Law, Association of Women Attorneys, Houston, TX; 2002 Outstanding Practitioner, Criminal Justice Section, NYS Bar Assn.
Education
Undergraduate: University of Kansas, B.S. Journalism, 1982
Law School: St. Mary's University School of Law, J.D., 1990
Life Member, NACDLMember, National College of DUI DefenseMember, Assn. of Fedl. Defense Attys.Sustaining Member, Los Angeles Criminal Courts Bar Assn.Member, California Attys. for Criminal JusticeOffices in Woodland Hills, Santa Monica, Riverside
Fellow, American College of Trial Lawyers; Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America; Benchmark Litigation Top 100 Trial Lawyers in America;Â California Lawyer Magazine CLAY Award (California Lawyers of the Year), Litigation; LA Daily Journal Top 100 Lawyers in California (10 times); President, Orange Co. Bar Assn., (1996)Commissioner, CA Bd. of Legal Specialization, (2002-2005)Best Lawyers In America, (2005-17)So. CA Superlawyers, "L. A. Magazine", (2004-2017), Top 100 Super Lawyers in SoCal, Top 50 Women, Top 50 Orange County; OC Trial Lawyers Criminal Defense Attorney of the Year, OC Trial Lawyers, (2000)
Education
Undergraduate: University of California Berkeley, A.B., 1975
Law School: Univ. of Calif. Hastings College of Law, J.D., 1978
Super Lawyer (2015, 2016)Past President, Minnesota Society of Criminal Justice (President 2015-16)(VP 2010-11)Section Council, Criminal Law Section Of MN State Bar Assoc. (Vice-Chair, 2016-17) (Treasurer 2015-16) (Secretary 2014-15)Minn. Assoc. of Criminal Defense Lawyers (MACDL) (member, Legislative Cmte)Life Member, Natl. Assoc. of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL)
Education
Undergraduate: Carleton College, BA, 1990
Law School: American University Law School, JD, 1997
Editor, Representing People with Mental Disabilities: A Practical Guide for Criminal Defense Lawyers (ABA, 2018); Representing People with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Practical Guide for Criminal Defense Lawyers (ABA, 2020); ABA Criminal Justice Section Council; Editorial Board, ABA Criminal Justice Section Magazine; past board member, NACDL; past co-Chair, The Arc's National Center for Criminal Justice and Disabilities Advisory Panel.Â
Former Military Judge, USMCFormer Asst. US AttorneyPresident, Okinowa Bench and Bar Assn. (1977)President, Auburn Univ. Bar Assn. (1995)President, National Military Justice GroupAuthor: "Impeachment An Overview," The Army LawyerAuthor, "A Commander's Guide to Bad Checks," The Marine Corps GazetteAuthor, "Civilian Attorneys and the Defense of US Service Members," The Colorado LawyerAuthor, "Abu Grahb, Tragedy on Trial," The Ohio Lawyer
Education
Undergraduate: Auburn University, BS, 1969
Law School: Cumberland School of Law , JD, 1981
Bar Information
11th Cir. Ct. App., US Ct. App. for the Armed Forces
First Chair, Capital Counsel for Death Penalty CasesRecipient, Denison Ray Criminal Defender Award for Representation of the Indigent in 1998, NY Bar Assn.Recipient, Charles F. Crimi Memorial Award as Outstanding Practicioner in NY, NY Bar Assn. (2000)Recipient, Hon. Thurgood Marshall Award for Oustanding Practitioner in NY, NYSACDL (2002)Past President, NYSACDLLife Member, NYSACDLBoard Member, New York State Assn. of Criminal Defense LawyersInstructor, New York State Defenders Ins
Former US Dist. Judge, N. Dist. of Texas (1992-2002) Former Commissioner, US Sentencing Comm., Washington, DC (1999-2002)Former TX State Dist. Judge, State of Texas, (1987-1992)Board Certification in Criminal Law (1985)Author, Numerous published opinions in state and federal reporters
Kathy Keneally is a partner of DLA Piper LLP (US) and Chair of Civil and Criminal Tax Litigation in the firm’s global tax group. Before joining Piper, Kathy served as the nation’s top tax prosecutor as Assistant Attorney General for the U.S. Justice Department’s Tax Division. She also has 30+ years’ experience representing large corporations, financial institutions, closely held businesses and high-net-worth individuals in civil and criminal tax matters and white collar criminal defense.
Education
Undergraduate: Cornell University, , 1979
Graduate: NYU School of Law, LLM (Taxation), , 1993
Law School: Fordham University School of Law, , 1982
During a career marked with high-profile successes, Jeff has handled several thousand criminal cases, including over 100 jury trials, in both state and federal courts, and a number of homicide cases. He also has had the privilege of being one of a select group of lawyers to have argued before the California Supreme Court. Jeff has been granted the honor of being a Certified Specialist in Criminal Law by the California State Bar Board of Legal Specialization. He is one of approximately 25 in Orange County and 350 in the entire State of California to hold such certification!
As testimony to the quality of his preparation and conduct of complex cases, Jeff's clients have included judges, politicians, private attorneys, public defenders, and law enforcement officers. He is also listed in the Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers, Martindale-Hubbell with an AV rating (the highest given), Avvo.com with a 10.0 rating, and has been listed for numerous years in the Super Lawyers publication by Los Angeles Magazine.
Jeff is a member on the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, California Attorneys for Criminal Justice, and a co-founder of the North Orange County Bar Association. He has been admitted the California State Bar (#162237), the United States District Courts of the Central, Eastern, Northern, Southern, and Western Districts of California, the United States Court of Appeal for the 9th Circuit, and the United States Supreme Court. Jeff has also represented clients in Arizona, Florida, Hawaii, Nevada, New York, Oregon, Virginia, and Washington in their respective State or Federal District Courts.
A native of Southern California, Jeff is married and has both a son and a daughter.
Education
Undergraduate: University of California, Irvine, BS, 1989
Law School: Western State University, College of Law, JD, 1992
Publisher, "The Express Gay News"Talk Show Host, The Norm Kent Show, WFTL, 1400 AMBoard of Directors, NORML1st Amend. Lawyers Assn.Author, "The Marijuana, Medical Necessity Defense for Patients," The Champion, (1999)Recipient, ACLU Civil Liberties Award (1999)
John Kerns has more than two decades of experience providing criminal defense representation for individuals charged with violent, drug, property, and white-collar crimes throughout the State of Kansas. John has utilized and developed thorough and effective investigation, discovery review, pre-hearing and trial preparation and presentation skills, along with extensive and effective negotiation and client communication proficiency. Also, John is a Federal Criminal Justice Act Panel attorney representing indigent clients charged with Federal crimes in Federal Court in Kansas. The Criminal Justice Act Panel is a group of qualified attorneys, selected by a committee of judges and experienced attorneys to represent individuals in criminal cases who are financially unable to retain counsel. John has participated in countless state level jury trials and has represented the accused as lead counsel in approximately 28 Federal criminal cases. These federal cases cover a wide gamut and include cases such as tax fraud and drug distribution conspiracy as examples.Â
Board of Governors, KACDLA.V. Rated, Martindale- HubbellGraduate, Gerry Spence's Trial Lawyer Coll. (1999)Graduate, Natl. Criminal Defense Coll., Macon, GA.Listed "Best Lawyers in America."2010 Kansas Bar Association's "Courageous Attorney" award recipient.Admitted to practice before the International Criminal Court, The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, and The Special Tribunal for Lebanon.
Education
Undergraduate: University of Kansas, , 1988
Law School: Washburn University School of Law , 1991
Bar Information
10th Cir., Intl. Criminal Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia, Intl. Criminal Ct., US Supreme Ct.
