Kent Withycombe joined the Committee in January 2012. He was a partner for more than 15 years with Dickstein Shapiro LLP, litigating major insurance disputes on behalf of Fortune 500 policyholders. Prior to Dickstein Shapiro, Kent was a shareholder member for eight years in the law firm of Anderson Kill Olick & Oshinsky, P.C., where he litigated insurance, securities and construction disputes.
For the last ten years of his tenure at Dickstein, Mr. Withycombe guided the firm’s school partnership with the Duke Ellington High School for the Arts. He continues to work closely with Georgetown University Law Center’s Street Law program in the DC Public Schools, coordinating mentor attorneys for classes throughout the year, as well as the Fall DC Human Rights mock trials and the District-wide mock trial tournament each Spring.
In addition to litigation and policy advocacy, Kent leads the Committee’s DC Public School Partnership Program that matches law firms, businesses and other organizations with Title I DCPS schools. The school partners work with students, parents, teachers and principals to improve academic enrichment opportunities for students and to support school communities in their advocacy for a more equitable distribution of educational resources.
Education
- JD, New York University School of Law; Review of Law and Social Change
- BA, magna cum laude, Columbia University; History and Environmental Science
Bar Admissions
- District of Columbia
- New York
Pro Bono and Community Service
- DC Arts & Humanities Education Collaborative: Executive Committee
- Council for Court Excellence: Youth Justice Committee
- Georgetown University Law Center Street Law Clinic: Street Law mentor; advisor regarding GULC and Street Law Diversity Pipeline Project.
- Duke Ellington School of the Arts: developed Street Law program, co-founded Roundtable program.
- Komen Global Race for the Cure: Team Captain for fundraising race team since 2008-2013.
- Arlington County Youth Basketball: Advisory Council member 2005-2017; coached up to four teams a year from 2000-2020.
