Kathleen E. Whooley graduated with honors from Macalester College and received her J.D. degree from New York University School of Law. During law school, she interned for the Louisiana Capital Assistance Center and the Brennan Center for Justice, and was a student advocate for the Federal Defenders of New York.
After law school, she interned in Chambers at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in The Hague before joining Appellate Advocates. She has served on the Criminal Courts Committee of the New York City Bar Association.