About Kaitlyn
Kaitlyn Clarkson built her legal foundation in Pennsylvania. She earned an A.A. from LCCC in 2010, a B.A. from Temple University in 2012 and a Juris Doctor from Widener University in 2015. Those years included classroom work and practical training that steered her toward appellate litigation and post-conviction practice.
She began her professional life at The McShane Firm, LLC, first as a law clerk in 2014 and then as an appellate and post-conviction lawyer in 2015. The early roles placed her on teams handling appeals and post-conviction petitions, where drafting and research were constant. The progression from clerk to advocate gave her sustained exposure to appellate briefing and the procedural demands of post-conviction work.
Clarkson’s continuing education underscores the emphasis of her practice. She completed Advanced Persuasive Writing through the Clear Law Institute and attended a panel on Brief Writing: A View From the Appellate Bench presented by the Dauphin County Bar Association. She also participated in the National Appellate Defense Training offered by the National Legal Aid and Defender Association. Local trainings include Writing and Speaking to Win from the Pennsylvania Bar Association and a course on Sentencing Guidelines and Sentencing in Pennsylvania from the Pennsylvania Commission on Sentencing. Those programs sharpened courtroom presentation and brief-writing skills and kept her current on state sentencing practice.
Her work centers on written advocacy. She spends long hours preparing briefs, compiling records, and crafting legal argument. She also appears at appellate hearings and sentencing review matters when cases require oral argument. Colleagues note an attention to statutory detail and procedure that suits appellate calendars, where timing and precision matter.
Clarkson’s background, combining regional legal education and targeted training, maps onto the demands of post-conviction and appellate practice in Pennsylvania. She understands how state sentencing guidelines and appellate standards intersect, and how a well-structured brief can change the course of a case. As of 2026, she practices in matters involving appeals and post-conviction relief, focusing on written advocacy and appellate procedure.
