New tenure-track professor Kristina Kersey brings more than two decades of experience in youth defense to the Legal Clinic at the University of Tennessee College of Law.
“She is the perfect fit for the Advocacy Clinic,” says Legal Clinic Director Joy Radice. “Professor Kersey has tried dozens of cases, won critical appellate decisions, and worked on legislative reform, offering students a wide range of expertise.”
Before joining the faculty in August, Professor Kersey was Senior Youth Defense Counsel at The Gault Center, where she facilitated national trainings on trial skills and racial justice. Prior to that, she worked for the New Jersey Office of the Public Defender for more than 18 years, specializing in youth defense.
Professor Kersey is excited about the transition to teaching law students at UT.
“I wasn’t someone who went to law school knowing exactly what I wanted to do when I started practicing, but when I went to visit a client with a partner at the law firm where I was summer associate, it all clicked,” says Kersey. “I wanted to stand up next to people in court and advocate with them, defend them, and ensure their story got told. It’s humbling to stand next to someone during what is usually the worst moment of their life. Now, I get to share that with students. In just one semester, I have witnessed so much growth. We see it, they feel it, and when the clients feel zealously represented. It’s awesome.”
Kersey has developed a far-ranging docket, built new relationships with advocacy youth groups, and worked with students on legislative reform. One of her students, Bianca McNeary, described Kersey as encouraging, inspiring, and passionate. “Her knowledge, trust, and support this semester helped me grow tremendously,” says McNeary. “The lessons that she taught me in clinic will stay with me as I begin my legal career.”
