Kathryn Kolbert

Kathryn Kolbert is a prominent leadership consultant and public speaker, recognized for her extensive work in advancing women's rights. She has had a distinguished career as a public-interest attorney, journalist, and executive in the non-profit sector.

Career Highlights

• Legal Advocacy: Kolbert is a co-founder of the Center for Reproductive Rights and is best known for her role in the landmark Supreme Court case Planned Parenthood v. Casey in 1992, which played a crucial role in upholding Roe v. Wade until its recent overturning in 2022 by Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.

• Leadership Roles: She served as the President and CEO of People for the American Way and its foundation, and she was the director of the Athena Center for Leadership Studies at Barnard College, which she founded in 2009. Kolbert also developed and managed a program on law and American life at the University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg Public Policy Center, where she produced the award-winning NPR program Justice Talking.

• Authorship and Speaking: Kolbert co-authored the book Controlling Women: What We Must Do Now to Save Reproductive Freedom, which discusses the ongoing struggle for reproductive rights and proposes strategies for advocacy. She is a sought-after speaker on topics related to women's rights, activism, and leadership, with her TED Talk on reproductive freedom receiving over 2 million views.

Education and Recognition

Kolbert holds degrees from Cornell University and Temple University School of Law. She has been recognized as one of the "100 Most Influential Lawyers in America" by The National Law Journal and has received accolades for her contributions to civil rights and women's leadership.123