A formidable and accomplished trial lawyer who has focused her career on holding accountable those who commit acts of sexual violence and abuse, Penny Kissinger brings a former prosecutor’s zeal and perspectives to her work as an advocate for individuals who have survived such horrific acts. Her balance of empathy and toughness, professionalism and passion, makes Penny an invaluable ally and source of support for clients as they navigate the process of seeking justice and healing.
Penny forged her courtroom skills in Orleans Parish Criminal Court while working for the Orleans Parish District Attorney’s office, where she served as an assistant district attorney and deputy chief of the office’s Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) Unit. In that role, she supervised other assistant district attorneys while also carrying her own caseload which focused on complex first-degree rape cases involving multiple defendants, victims, and/or charges. She secured convictions in 80 trials and negotiated 50 plea deals. Working with sexual violence and abuse survivors, Penny demonstrated an unrelenting determination to give these individuals a voice, to provide them with a safe space to talk about the worst thing that has ever happened to them, to assure them they were not fighting this battle alone and that she appreciated the depth of their trauma and the difficulty of their journey.
At Lamothe Law Firm, Penny leverages the insights and experience she gained as a prosecutor on behalf of survivors in civil sexual abuse cases. She recognizes that these matters are not only about accountability for the individuals who commit these acts, but also for the employers, schools, churches, and other organizations that create the conditions that allow such acts to occur or fail to take action to prevent them from happening.
Penny is a graduate of Tulane University and earned her law degree from Loyola University New Orleans College of Law.
