Kathleen Tarr

Bio

Kathleen Tarr is a former Skadden Fellow (“legal Peace Corps”), University of California, Berkeley and Harvard Law School graduate, Advanced Lecturer at Stanford University in the Program in Writing and Rhetoric, and former Writing Specialist for Stanford's Public Policy Program. During law school, Kathleen assisted in the authorship of Japan’s first university-level sexual harassment policy, and as a Skadden Fellow, she developed some of the U.S.’s first public interest outreach programs to disabled female military veterans. Kathleen has authored several publications including law review articles "Above and Beyond: Veterans Disabled by Military Service" (1997) which was cited by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, "Regatta Revisited: The Race for Equity in Virtual Sports" (2019; co-authored with Doron Dorfman), and "Bias and the Business of Show: Employment Discrimination in the 'Entertainment' Industry" which was touted by filmmaker, screenwriter, and activist Maria Giese as the most important document published on the issue of discriminatory hiring practices in Hollywood in 2016.

"Bias and the Business of Show" evolved from Kathleen’s General Session presentation with special guests Amy Pietz and Edward James Olmos at the 2015 State Bar of California Annual Meeting and is companion to her annual Symposium on Equity in the Entertainment Industry and Awards (tinyurl.com/GettingPlayedSymposium). These "Getting Played" symposia are named after Kathleen's documentary on (un)equal employment opportunities in the entertainment industry which received Honorable Mention in the 2010 International Black Women's Film Festival. Kathleen has produced two other films that were official selections in film festivals: her short animation "I Have All The Feelings" (2014 International Black Women's Film Festival) and her short sci-fi film "Early Aliens" (2015 ASTRONOMMO: Speculative Fiction on Film + Black Women).

Overlapping these accomplishments: Kathleen’s acting credits encompass stage, film, commercials, television, and video games including "House M.D.", Sundance award winner "Dopamine", and "Sim City". She appears (self) in the documentaries "Nevertheless" (2020; Dir. Sarah Moshman) and "Brainwashed: Sex-Camera-Power" (Dir. Nina Menkes) which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2022. She is also a Women’s American Football League draftee and 42+ time indoor rowing world record holder.

Kathleen offers writing and communication resources for students and instructors alike at kantonia.wix.com/lawandpolicy

Academic Appointments

• PWR Advanced Lecturer, Writing and Rhetoric Studies

Administrative Appointments

• Writing Specialist, Public Policy Program (2018 - 2020)

Honors & Awards

• Nominee, 2018 State of the Arts "Arts Enabler Award", Arts for a Better Bay Area (March 2018)
• Nominee, Walter J. Gores Faculty Achievement Award, Stanford University (2017, 2018)

2024-25 Courses

• Writing & Rhetoric 1: Legal Rhetoric, Research, and Writing
  PWR 1KTB (Aut, Win)
• Prior Year Courses

  2022-23 Courses

  • Topics in Writing & Rhetoric: Racism, Misogyny, and the Law
    CSRE 194KTA, FEMGEN 194, HISTORY 261C, PWR 194KTA (Spr)
  • Writing & Rhetoric 1: "That's Entertainment!" The Rhetoric of Hollywood's Inequities
    PWR 1KTA (Aut, Spr)

  2021-22 Courses

  • Topics in Writing & Rhetoric: Racism, Misogyny, and the Law
    CSRE 194KTA, FEMGEN 194, HISTORY 261C, PWR 194KTA (Spr)
  • Writing & Rhetoric 1: "That's Entertainment!" The Rhetoric of Hollywood's Inequities
    PWR 1KTA (Spr)
  • Writing & Rhetoric 2: A Rebel With A Cause: The Rhetoric of Giving a Damn
    PWR 2KTA (Aut, Win)