MEET OUR STAFF

Kimberlee Francis

Managing attorney

Kim has over fifteen years of experience as a licensed attorney. Since graduating from Vanderbilt University in 2007, most of her career has been in public service as a criminal defense trial attorney, both in and outside of Athens, as a prosecutor in Meigs County, and as an attorney with a local legal aid organization. Kim has also practiced as a private attorney doing family law matters, employment law, and juvenile/custody matters. She is a client focused attorney who believes detailed communication with clients builds the best foundation for a solid attorney-client relationship.

Kim initially started as a Staff Attorney with CSLS in June of 2014 and became Managing Attorney in July of 2019. Kim briefly left CSLS in the fall of 2021 to pursue other goals and was recently invited back to CSLS in April of 2024.

Kim is excited to be in the Athens area again to represent Ohio University students.

Brenda Jean Searcy

Staff Attorney

Brenda is a plant-loving musician who added “attorney” to her resume later in life. That resume includes restaurant server, postal worker, gardener, handyperson, tax office worker, and public speaker, among other things.

She is a proud graduate of Capital University Law School, where she received the Dean’s Award for outstanding scholarship and contributions to the school.

A native of coastal South Texas and a graduate of Westerville North High School, Ms. Searcy spent most of her adult life in the Appalachian foothills of southwestern Pennsylvania, so Athens County feels like home.

Courtney BOYD

office manager

Courtney is a local resident, born and raised in the Athens community. She received an Associate in Science from Ohio University in the fall of 2015. Since then she has completed the Basic Immigration Law Course of the National Immigration Paralegal Institute in April of 2019 and earned a Paralegal Certificate from The Center for Legal Studies through Ohio University in October of 2019. She will also graduate with a Bachelor of Science (Major in Psychology, Minor in Sociology) at the end of the summer, 2022.

Courtney began work with CSLS in the summer of 2011 as an intern shadowing the Center's staff attorney. After her internship, Courtney stayed on as a receptionist and was promoted to Office Manager in the summer of 2015. She took a brief hiatus from employment with CSLS in the fall of 2016 to continue more schooling and worked as a legal secretary in the oldest and largest law firm in Athens for several months in 2017. Courtney was very happy to be welcomed back to CSLS again as the Office Manager in December 2017.