The Salmon P. Chase College of Law Class of 2021 has selected Professor Jennifer Kinsley as its Professor of the Year. The selection recognizes her commitment to students in the classroom, her work for their professional development and her example as a role model.
“Her accomplishments, her demeanor and her kindness have greatly inspired me,” said graduating student Holly Duke, executive editor of the Northern Kentucky Law Review. “She shows that you can be both a compassionate person and incredibly strong and successful. She devotes an extraordinary amount of her talent and time to bettering her students academically, professionally and personally.”
Professor Kinsley has inspired students through her various roles at Chase and her pro bono work as a lawyer. At Chase, she is a professor of law, the associate dean for professional development and the director of the field placement program. Beyond Chase, she is an author of law review articles, a speaker at legal seminars and a zealous pro bono lawyer.
As a professor, she has taught such courses as Constitutional Law, Legal Analysis and Problem Solving and Trial Advocacy. As associate dean and field placement director, she facilitates experiential learning opportunities for students to gain practical experience in law firms, corporations, governmental and nonprofit agencies, and by working with judges.
She has published articles in numerous law reviews and made presentations at local, national and international seminars, many of them focused on issues involving freedom of speech and expression.
Professor Kinsley is a member of the Kentucky Public Advocacy Commission, which oversees the Kentucky public defender system, and she is a diligent provider of pro bono legal services in issues of public significance. This past year, her six-year pursuit of justice for one client who had not been afforded a proper procedural safeguard in a criminal case culminated in a grant of clemency. In other cases, she has successfully represented individuals against attempts to stop their involvement in political and societal issues.
Professor Kinsley joined the Chase faculty in 2012, and has served as a member of various committees at Chase and Northern Kentucky University.
