“As a long-time resident of the District of Columbia, it has truly been an honor to work through either defending the interests of through litigation or providing safety through prosecution of criminal acts and making the District an awesome place to work.” Kerslyn D. Featherstone ’01 has been working in the public sector since her graduation from Catholic Law in 2001 and over the last nearly 20 years, she has worked hard to serve the District. Now, as a 2021 recipient of the Distinguished Public Service Award, Featherstone reflected took an opportunity to reflect on her career as a public servant.

Originally from Memphis, Tennessee, Featherstone earned her bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Clark Atlanta University. After graduation, Featherstone decided to pursue a career in law after taking a post-graduate business law class. “My professor for that class spoke with me about practicing law and encouraged me to take the LSAT and apply for law school. I had thought about it before because I wanted to work as a prosecutor, but it wasn’t until that class that I made the decision to switch careers and apply for law school.”

Following graduation, Featherstone moved to D.C. to pursue that path. Featherstone quickly realized that Catholic Law was the right place for her. “Catholic University was a great fit for me because 1) the Columbus School of Law provided a small, close-knit community of working professionals attending night school, which was very important to me, 2) I spoke with others that attended the university prior to attending who spoke highly of the curriculum and all that it had to offer, and 3) Catholic also offered at the time a J.D./M.B.A. program which I also considered pursuing at one time but ultimately chose to remain solely in the J.D. program.” Taking classes with Professors like Roger Hartley and Leroy Clark really helped make the law “click” for Featherstone.

Despite balancing an already busy schedule as an evening student, Featherstone also got involved in other areas of the Catholic Law community. As a member of the Evening Law Students Association (ELSA), Featherstone assisted in coordinating a career fair/ conference for the other evening students at the Law School. “Often, evening students were so engrossed in their actual careers and attending law school at night that we didn’t always take advantage of offerings during the day that the law school offered. Having this evening fair with members of the legal community ranging from military, private practice, and the public sector.” She also worked in the Law School’s Advocacy for the Elderly Clinic where she assisted elderly individuals within the District with various legal issues.

After four years of law school and a clerkship with the Honorable Jannette Clark of the D.C. Superior Court, Featherstone was eager to pursue prosecution work. An offer to work in the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia would provide her with that opportunity. Featherstone began in what was then the Criminal Division (now the Public Safety Division). Interested in transitioning into more complex litigation, in 2008, Featherstone transferred to the Civil Litigation Division where she continues to practice in areas of Section 1983 (police excessive force and constitutional violations), employment, and general tort litigation. “The grueling fast-paced environment of working in both a prosecutor’s office and civil defense practice, both with the D.C. Office of Attorney General, provided me this golden opportunity to develop and focus my litigation skills and become the seasoned litigator I am today.”

And while maintaining a work/life balance has proven difficult at times given the rigor of the litigation field, Featherstone considers it hugely important to take the time to reset. “The break is needed, or you will certainly burn out. I also make daily time for my family, even if it means that I may have to burn the midnight oil occasionally, but family dinner is an important time for me.” For law students and young lawyers today she added, “My advice to young lawyers is to always remember who you are, stay true to yourself. Long after you leave certain employment, your name and reputation in the legal community will always follow, so make sure your character is never compromised. Make sure that you work hard but also have a balance in your life.”