Alumni of the Year: Kerry Kumabe ‘10 (Vol. 98)

Kerry Kumabe is universally known as a phenomenal educator and staunch advocate at Berkeley Law. Professor Kumabe joined the faculty of the First Year Skills program in 2018. The First Year Skills program is explicitly designed to introduce students to the theory and practice of professional lawyering skills. Thus, it is not shocking that Professor Kumabe found her home there. While earning her J.D. at Berkeley Law School, she served as Senior Notes & Comments Editor for the California Law Review and Senior Articles Editor for the Asian American Law Journal. After graduating, Kumabe joined the litigation group at the Palo Alto office of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom. At Skadden, she represented clients in various matters, including federal securities litigation, government investigations, and data privacy. She then joined the Office of Staff Attorneys at the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, where she focused on civil and immigration appeals. Kumabe holds a master’s degree in literature from Cambridge. She received her bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Pennsylvania, summa cum laude.

She has demonstrated a commitment to advancing professionally and supporting her students in doing the same. We celebrate her for her role in training several editors in our journal and fiercely advocating for them as they begin their careers.