J. Kendall SealVice President of Policy

J. Kendall Seal is a lawyer dedicated to reforming the American legal system to ensure children in foster care are given a fighting chance and the loving family they deserve.

Kendall spearheads the creation and development of research, reforms, and public policies to protect children in foster care at both the state and federal levels.

Kendall believes the world needs more homecomings, and he is inspired by courageous young people and their foster families who demonstrate grace, grit, and resilience in the face of a system that denies their voices in the process.

Before joining the Center for the Rights of Abused Children, Kendall worked for nearly 15 years as a litigator, a lobbyist, and a public policy executive spanning the private and public sectors on a range of issues including criminal justice reform, economic development, and gender equity.

He is particularly proud of his work representing clients who survived domestic violence and human trafficking. Kendall serves as adjunct faculty at the University of Missouri- Kansas City School of Law where he teaches a course on trafficking to ensure the next generation of lawyers better serve trafficking survivors.

Kendall serves as board chair of Global Ties – Kansas City, which links international leaders with local leaders in the heartland, and he volunteers as pro bono counsel with Military Matters, providing legal services to servicemembers and veterans.

Kendall earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Missouri State University and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Missouri – Kansas City School of Law.