2021 Up & Coming Attorneys: Kathryn Wendt

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The case drew Wendt’s attention because she played intercollegiate soccer as an undergraduate at Wartburg College in Iowa. “It was of interest to me because I grew up as an athlete and played soccer collegiately,” she said. “I still play in a lot of leagues around the cities, usually three or four games a week. I grew up in a sports family, so that was an intriguing case for me.”

The Ballard Spahr LLP business litigation attorney has also represented clients in several significant cases. One involved working for a solar developer who saw its solar field burned to the ground due to faulty wiring in a case that continues. Another concerned a security and defense contractor in a matter involving national security issues.

Wendt stays busy with pro bono opportunities, logging 100 hours last year. She has served as a volunteer attorney for the Hennepin County Housing Court Clinic for the Volunteer Lawyer’s Network, assisting low-income clients on housing issues. In addition, Wendt assists children in securing Special Immigration Juvenile Status (SIJS) through obtaining court orders.

Working with children “is particularly rewarding because you’re helping these kids have a better life here in the U.S.,” she said. “They can feel safe and secure in their status here and be able to go to school and live here.”

Wendt will face her first jury trial in September, the kind of challenge she savors. “I would say my favorite part about being an attorney is working with my colleagues and my clients on unique and challenging issues,” she said. “To be able to create a solution, especially in some of our high-stakes cases, is very rewarding.”

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