Kerry Kumabe joined the faculty of the First Year Skills program in 2018. She earned her J.D. at U.C. Berkeley Law School, where she served as Senior Notes & Comments Editor on the California Law Review and Senior Articles Editor on the Asian American Law Journal.
After graduation, Kumabe joined the Palo Alto office of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom. At Skadden, she represented clients in a broad range of 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.
At Berkeley Law, Kumabe teaches legal writing, research, and oral advocacy. In 2024, the California Law Review honored her with its Distinguished Alumni of the Year Award. She received the Professor of the Year award from the Women of Berkeley Law in 2025.
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, with departmental honors.
Education
B.A., University of Pennsylvania
M.Phil., University of Cambridge
J.D., UC Berkeley School of Law
Kerry S Kumabe is teaching the following courses in Spring 2026:
• 202.1B sec. 00L - Written and Oral Advocacy
• 202.1B sec. 00X - Written and Oral Advocacy
Courses During Other Semesters
| Semester | Course Num | Course Title |  Teaching Evaluations | Fall 2025 | 202.1A sec. 00J | Legal Research and Writing for J.D.s | View Teaching Evaluation | 202.1A sec. 00P | Legal Research and Writing for J.D.s | View Teaching Evaluation | Spring 2025 | 202.1B sec. 00Q | Written and Oral Advocacy | 202.1B sec. 00W | Written and Oral Advocacy |
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