Kirsten N. Bickelman
Kirsten Bickelman is a litigator whose practice focuses on complex civil and criminal disputes. Her experience includes matters related to consumer protection, trade secrets, and government and regulatory litigation. She also has experience bringing affirmative litigation on behalf of public sector labor unions. Kirsten has advocated for clients in all phases of litigation and arbitration, including in both pre-trial discovery and motions practice and at hearings and oral arguments.
Kirsten also maintains an active pro bono practice representing incarcerated clients in a variety of post-conviction proceedings.
Practice Area
Panel
- Contributing Author
Qualified Year
- 2021
Experience
- Venable LLP – Associate (2021 - 2022)
- U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia – Judicial Law Clerk (2022 - 2023)
- Steptoe LLP – Associate (2023 - Present)
Qualifications
- District of Columbia (2021)
- U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia (2021)
Education
- American University Washington College of Law – J.D. (2021)
- American University – B.A. (2017)
1 Contributions by Kirsten N. Bickelman
PRACTICE NOTES
United States class action arbitration: consent, class waivers, AAA/JAMS rules, key Supreme Court cases and current circuit splits on arbitrability and delegation
Class action litigation has long been a fixture of US courts, its modern trajectory often linked to the US Supreme Court’s decision in Green Tree Financial Corp v Bazzle, 539 U.S. 444 (2003) (Bazzle). US case law recognises that class disputes may proceed in arbitration where an arbitration agreement allows it. Persistent uncertainties remain, however, about what amounts to consent to class arbitration and whether that gateway issue is for a court or an arbitral tribunal to decide. Nevertheless, several prominent arbitral institutions have introduced rules addressing class arbitration. Note: the US judgments mentioned in this Practice Note are not reported by LexisNexis UK.
What is class action dispute resolution?
Class actions were created to manage alike claims held by many claimants within a single proceeding. A representative plaintiff brings the case on behalf of others in comparable positions and applies to the court to ‘certify’ the matter as a class action. Certification is governed by established criteria and is generally warranted only where numerous claimants assert similar claims against the same defendant, and where issues common to the class are shown to ‘predominate’...
Arbitration
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