Kendall Turner
Counsel
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Kendall Turner focuses her practice on appellate matters in federal and state courts. She has presented oral argument in various federal courts of appeals and has examined and cross-examined witnesses during a multi-week trial before a federal agency. Kendall also argued before the US Supreme Court in the 2019 Term, winning a unanimous reversal of her client’s criminal sentence. She represents clients throughout the various stages of litigation, including during pre-litigation strategy, motions practice, trial, and appeal, with a focus on cases raising constitutional claims.
Kendall also maintains an active pro bono practice. She has helped litigate several reproductive rights cases and several cases on behalf of criminal defendants seeking to contest their convictions, sentences, and conditions of confinement.
In 2017, Kendall co-founded Law Clerks for Workplace Accountability, an organization dedicated to combating harassment in the federal judiciary. She later testified before the Judicial Conference’s committees on Codes of Conduct and Judicial Conduct and Disability Rules to provide feedback on proposed changes.
Before joining O’Melveny, Kendall was a law clerk for Associate Justice Stephen G. Breyer on the US Supreme Court and Chief Judge Merrick B. Garland on the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit.
Honors & Awards
- National Law Journal, Rising Star (2021)
- Forbes 30 Under 30: Law & Policy (2016)
Admissions
Bar Admissions
- California
- District of Columbia
Court Admissions
- US Supreme Court
- US Court of Appeals, Second, Eighth, Ninth, Eleventh, and District of Columbia Circuits
- US District Court, Central District of California and District of Columbia
Education
- Stanford University, J.D., 2013
- Princeton University, B.A., 2007
Professional Activities
Author
- Co-Author, “The Texas Abortion Law Sleeper Issue: It Limits Access to Counsel,” Bloomberg News (September 2021)
- Co-Author, “Year in Law,” Green Bag (2021)
- Co-Author, “Second Circuit Expands Scope of Insider-Trading Liability,” Bloomberg Law (February 2020)
- Co-Author, “Next Steps in the Federal Judiciary's #MeToo Moment,” National Law Journal (January 2018)
- Author, “A New Approach to the Teague Doctrine,” 66 Stan. L. Rev. 1159 (2014)
- Co-Author, “The Retroactivity of Padilla After Chaidez v. United States,” The Champion (2013)
- Author, “The Scope of Compliance Proceedings Under the WTO Dispute Settlement Understanding: What Are ‘Measures Taken to Comply’?,” 12 Asper R. Int’l Bus. & Trade L. 170 (2013)
- Author, “Dahlia v. Rodriguez: A Chance to Overturn Dangerous Precedent,” Stan. L. Rev. Online (2012)
Clerkships
- Associate Justice Stephen G. Breyer, US Supreme Court
- Chief Judge Merrick B. Garland, US Court of Appeals, District of Columbia Circuit
Leadership
- Founder and Board Member, Law Clerks for Workplace Accountability
- Member, Law Clerk Advisory Group, DC Circuit Court of Appeals
- Former Board Member, Proyecto Villa Nueva
Panelist
- Panelist, “Understanding the Supreme Court’s Shadow Docket,” Stanford Law School (November 2021)
- Panelist, “#MeToo in the Courthouse,” National Association for Law Placement (April 2021)
- Panelist, “Sexual Misconduct in the Federal Judiciary,” Stanford Law School (April 2021)
- Panelist, “U.S. Supreme Court Developments,” Greater Business Alliance (October 2020)
- Panelist, “The Story of #MeToo in the Courthouse from the Perspective of Law Clerks,” Columbia Law School (February 2020)
- Panelist, “Supreme Court 101,” Home Is Here Conference (October 2019)
- Panelist, “Maintaining an Exemplary Workplace,” Judges’ Conference (April 2019)
- Panelist, “Sexual Misconduct in the Legal Profession,” Georgetown Law School (April 2019)
- Panelist, “Judicial Workplace Conduct Reform,” Yale Law School (March 2019)
- Panelist, “Regulation in Courts: Previewing the Year Ahead in the Supreme Court and Circuits,” Hoover Institution (September 2018)
- Panelist, “#MeToo in the Legal Profession,” 2018 Annual Conference, South Asian Bar Association (July 2018)
- Panelist, “The Year Ahead: Regulation in the Supreme Court and the Circuits,” Hoover Institution (September 2017)
- Panelist, “Women's Talk Story Event,” (January 2017)
Representative US Supreme Court Matters
- Holguin-Hernandez v. United States. Presented oral argument and secured a unanimous victory for a criminal defendant seeking to challenge the length of his sentence. Although the Fifth Circuit had held the defendant failed to preserve his challenge for appeal, the Supreme Court reversed 9-0.
- June Medical Services LLC v. Russo. With co-counsel the Center for Reproductive Rights, helped brief this reproductive-rights case and secured a 5-4 victory for Louisiana abortion providers.
- United States v. Gary. With co-counsel the Stanford Law School Supreme Court Litigation Clinic and the Office of the Federal Defender for South Carolina, helped brief this case addressing criminal defendants’ ability to seek relief under new rules establishing the elements of their offenses.
Representative State and Federal Appellate Court Matters
- Rinehart v. Weitzell. Briefed and presented oral argument—and secured a rare victory—before the Eighth Circuit on behalf of a disabled prisoner seeking relief under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
- Stein v. United States. Briefed and presented oral argument before the Eleventh Circuit on behalf of a defendant seeking to vacate his conviction and his sentence.
- Chichakli v. Tillerson. Briefed and presented oral argument before D.C. Circuit on behalf of a former prisoner seeking to protect his personal information from government disclosure under the Privacy Act.
- Little Rock Family Planning Services v. Rutledge. Briefed and presented oral argument before the Eighth Circuit and secured a unanimous victory for abortion providers challenging multiple abortion restrictions in Arkansas.
Other Representative Experience
- Arkansas Federal District Court. Led briefing and won a preliminary injunction of three laws restricting access to abortion care in Arkansas.
- California. Argued before the Third District Court of Appeal in a tax case presenting the question whether the taxpayer had exhausted its administrative remedies before filing suit.
- California. Helped secure multimillion-dollar settlement in trade secrets case.
- Delaware. Helped secure dismissal of shareholder claims against buyer of distressed company.