Kimberly Jansen focuses her practice in appellate law. As a member of Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP’s appellate practice group. Ms. Jansen brings a multidisciplinary insight to her handling of appeals and critical trial motions. She draws from diverse experience in fields ranging from admiralty law to professional liability to the Alien Tort Claims Act.

When briefing a complex summary judgment motion or consulting with a trial team regarding strategy, Ms. Jansen’s appellate background provides a critical eye toward the record being developed and issues likely to evolve on review.

She has persuaded trial judges to dismiss, for lack of jurisdiction, multimillion dollar claims brought in U.S. courts against international clients. Ms. Jansen has also convinced trial courts to reconsider and vacate significant discovery and summary judgment rulings entered against the firm’s clients.

Ms. Jansen’s close work with the firm’s trial attorneys provides nuanced understanding of the record when cases reach the appellate level. This integrated approach to trial and appellate advocacy fosters the efficiency and efficacy clients rightfully expect. Prior to joining Hinshaw in March 2004, Ms. Jansen was an Assistant Defender in the Office of the State Appellate Defender for the First District, where she handled a wide variety of criminal appeals.

Ms. Jansen began her legal career as a judicial clerk to distinguished jurists in two distinct geographic regions of Illinois. She clerked first for Justice Thomas Homer of the Illinois Appellate Court, Third District (which serves North Central Illinois), and completed a second clerkship with Justice Judith Cohen of the Illinois Appellate Court, First District (which serves all of Cook County).

Since 2005, Ms. Jansen has mentored new attorneys in the pro bono prosecution of direct criminal appeals in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. She believes strongly in the importance of this work in helping newly admitted attorneys develop the skills and confidence to successfully represent clients. Under her guidance, new lawyers have won relief for indigent clients and shaped the law in a number of published decisions.

Ms. Jansen plays an active role in Hinshaw’s continuing education efforts. Through Hinshaw University, the firm’s nationwide attorney training and education program, she teaches Legal Writing to all of the firm’s newly admitted attorneys. Together with Marissa DeLinks, a partner in the firm’s Boston office, Ms. Jansen has also developed and presented a highly-interactive legal writing program offered to all of the firm’s practice and specialty groups. Ms. Jansen has served on the firm's Attorney Life Committee.

Ms. Jansen is an active member of the Appellate Lawyers Association, where she has served on the Moot Court Committee, helping to organize an annual moot court competition open to law schools across the nation. 

Ms. Jansen speaks German fluently. During her undergraduate studies she spent a year in Aachen, Germany teaching English on a Fulbright teaching fellowship.

Since 2008, Illinois Super Lawyers magazine has named Ms. Jansen annually to its Rising Stars list. Ms. Jansen has provided pro bono legal assistance through the Midwest Immigrant and Human Rights Center (now Heartland Alliance), winning claims for asylum and withholding of removal before the Immigration Court. Kim is a single mom who spends much of her free time striving to keep up with the busy schedule of an energetic tween daughter. When not racing from theater rehearsals to orchestra performances, Kim and her daughter enjoy tinkering in their garden and catching up on the latest episode of DeGrassi.