Kathleen G. Sumner, Esq. was born in Rochester, New York, raised all over the United States growing up and has lived in Georgia, California, New Hampshire, Illinois, and North Carolina. She has two children, a son who lives in Wilmington, North Carolina, and a daughter who lives in Raleigh, North Carolina. Since 1993, she has resided in Greensboro, North Carolina.

In 1971, Ms. Sumner received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English pre-law from San Diego State University, and in 1990, she received her Juris Doctor degree from Campbell University Norman A. Wiggins School of Law in Buies Creek, North Carolina. Ms. Sumner taught English at the University of Prishtine, Yugoslavia. She also studied law at the East China Institute of Politics and Law in Shanghai, China.

Ms. Sumner is licensed to practice law in North Carolina, Washington, D.C., and Hawaii. She is also admitted to practice before the United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina, before the United States District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina, before the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeal, and before the United States Supreme Court.

Ms. Sumner taught Legal Writing and Appellate Advocacy at Campbell University Norman A. Wiggins School of Law. Thereafter, she practiced in Fayetteville, North Carolina, until she relocated to Greensboro, North Carolina in 1993, where she continues to protect the rights of injured workers.

Ms. Sumner maintains professional memberships in the North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers (NCATL), North Carolina Bar Association (NCBA), and the American Association for Justice (AAJ). She has also served as a member of the board of American Association for Justice (AAJ), as Chairman of the Women's Caucus, Vice President of the Women's Caucus, Secretary of the Women's Caucus, and on various committees for AAJ.

Ms. Sumner is presently in service to the Workplace Injury Litigation Group (WILG), as a Director and as Chairman of the Amicus Committee.

Ms. Sumner is an avid cyclist and scuba diver. She loves to travel to exotic locations and bicycle for fun and scuba dive while she travels.

Successful results are not always obtained before the Industrial Commission, and occasionally unfavorable determinations, need to be appealed. In Appellate Litigation, Ms. Sumner has successfully argued the following precedent-setting cases in North Carolina:

Salaam v. North Carolina DOT, 122 N.C. App. 83, 468 S.E.2d 536 (1996), pet. improvidently allowed, 345 N.C. 494, 480 S.E.2d 51 (1997)

Atkins v. Kelly Springfield Tire Co., 154 N.C. App. 512, 571 S.E.2d 865 (2002), aff'd, 358 N.C. 540, 597 S.E.2d 128 (2004)

Reinninger v. Prestige Fabricators, Inc., 136 N.C. App. 255, 523 S.E.2d 720 (1999)

Porter v. Fieldcrest Cannon, Inc., 133 N.C. App. 23, 514 S.E.2d 517 (1999)

Terry v. PPG Indus., 156 N.C. App. 512, 577 S.E.2d 326 (2003)

Arnold v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., 154 N.C. App. 482, 571 S.E.2d 888 (2002); Arnold v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., 596 S.E.2d 472, 2004 N.C. App. LEXIS 1053 (N.C. Ct. App., June 1, 2004)

McAllister v. Wellman, Inc., 162 N.C. App. 146, 590 S.E.2d 311 (2004)

de Portillo v. D.H. Griffin Wrecking Co., 134 N.C. App. 714, 518 S.E.2d 555 (1999)

Calhoun v. Wayne Dennis Heating & Air Conditioning, 129 N.C. App. 794, 501 S.E.2d 346 (1998)

Parsons v. Pantry, Inc., 126 N.C. App. 540; 485 S.E.2d 867 (1997)

Rose v. Rose, 108 N.C. App. 90, 422 S.E.2d 446 (1992)

Surles v. Surles, 113 N.C. App. 32, 437 S.E.2d 661 (1993)