Jessica C. Kerr

Jessica Kerr practices civil litigation and appellate advocacy on behalf of public, private, and non-profit clients. Her experience spans all levels of state court practice, federal trial court and appellate work, alternative dispute resolution, and administrative hearings and reviews. Jessica has a varied commercial litigation practice, and she especially enjoys working on matters involving complex procedural questions, constitutional law, and civil rights.

These broad experiences provide Jessica with a solid foundation and unique perspectives that enable her to effectively address a wide variety of clients’ appellate needs. Clients and co-counsel can count on Jessica’s thoughtful approach and careful attention to detail at all stages of appellate proceedings, whether building a record from lower court proceedings or working with Jessica specifically for purposes of appeal. She has been repeatedly recognized for her outstanding legal writing and advocacy skills.

Jessica is a leader in the regional appellate community. She was recently elected to serve a multi-year term on the Executive Committee of King County Bar Association’s Appellate Section, where she helps provide valuable educational programming to appellate practitioners.

Prior to joining HCMP, Jessica served as a law clerk to Justice Mary Fairhurst of the Washington Supreme Court and an extern to Judge Robert S. Lasnik of the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington. Jessica graduated first in her class at the University of Washington School of Law and currently teaches Civil Procedure II to law students at her alma mater. She has been recognized by Washington Super Lawyers as a “Rising Star” for seven years in a row.

HCMP’s appellate attorneys are experienced and successful advocates adept at navigating appeals in multiple jurisdictions. The firm handles appeals in the Washington Supreme Court, all three divisions of the Washington Court of Appeals, the United States Supreme Court, the Circuit Courts of Appeals, and Bankruptcy Appellate panels, as well as cases representing clients in other jurisdictions. Additionally, the team brings extensive experience in handling a diverse range of administrative appeals.

The appellate attorneys at HCMP have deep knowledge across various legal domains, coupled with a comprehensive understanding of applicable rules and procedures. This enables HCMP’s attorneys to add value to complex cases, ensuring that pertinent issues are preserved and that an appropriate trial court record is developed to support appellate arguments. Whether HCMP’s team has been involved from the trial stage or is brought on specifically for appeal, HCMP’s appellate advocates excel at distilling complex trial records into the key legal issues that will maximize clients’ chances of success.

HCMP’s experienced advocates have obtained successful results in high-stakes and high-profile appeals, both in protecting trial court victories on appeal as well as seeking to reverse or mitigate unfavorable rulings from a court below.

HCMP is dedicated to promoting the advancement of appellate advocacy in the legal community. In addition to organizing appellate continuing education courses for lawyers, HCMP is an active participant in promoting appellate advocacy among the next generations of lawyers. Multiple HCMP attorneys coach competitive traveling moot court teams, and the firm has served as the proud sponsor of the University of Washington School of Law’s appellate advocacy competition for more than a decade.