Headshot of Kirstin Ault

Kirstin Ault

Adjunct Professor of Law

Bio

Kirstin Ault is a 15-year veteran of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California, where she served in the Appellate, Criminal, and Civil Divisions. Kirstin has over 20 years of appellate experience, and has litigated more than 50 appeals before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Kirstin’s appellate work with the U.S. Attorney’s Office included, along with direct appeals, challenges to sentencing, restitution orders, and conditions of supervised release and probation, along with interlocutory appeals challenging bail conditions and rulings on trial motions. She has special expertise in constitutional challenges to criminal convictions and statutory interpretation. As the Supreme Court’s jurisprudence on the vagueness doctrine evolved to impact a variety of criminal and immigration statutes, Kirstin coordinated with other offices in the Ninth Circuit and the U.S. Department of Justice to develop a coherent strategy for adapting to a rapidly changing area of constitutional law.

Kirstin also served in the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Economic Crimes and Securities Fraud section where, as Health Care Fraud Coordinator, she oversaw the Northern District’s health care fraud litigation and handled a variety of white-collar cases. Kirstin has also tried over 20 federal jury trials, and brings that trial strategy and motions experience to benefit her consulting and appellate clients.

Kirstin was recognized as one of the Top 100 Lawyers in California by the California Daily Journal in 2014. She received the Executive Office of United States Attorneys Director’s Award in 2016. She currently serves on the Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles Amicus Committee and the Women’s White Collar Defense Association Small Firms Initiative Committee.

Kirstin graduated from Stanford Law School in 1999 and clerked for the Honorable Joel Flaum on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. Since 2016, Kirstin has regularly served as an instructor for Stanford’s Trial Advocacy seminar and moot court competitions.

Education

  • Stanford University
    J.D.
    1999

  • Indiana University
    M.A.
    1993

  • Indiana University
    B.A.
    1992

Courses

  • Compliance: Corporate Crimes