Warren High Grad Appointed Assistant District Attorney

Erin A. Kulesus, age 24 and 2008 Warren High School graduate, was recently appointed Assistant District Attorney for Erie County, Buffalo, New York.

Kulesus, a native of Gurnee, graduated Magna Cum Laude with her Juris Doctorate from the State University of New York in May 2013 where she earned certificates in Criminal Law and Defense.

After passing the New York and Massachusetts bar exams, Kulesus worked as a defense attorney for the law firm of Dennis C. Gaughan several months prior to accepting the position as Assistant District Attorney.

Erin, formerly of Gurnee, became interested in law after serving on Teen Court while studying at Warren Township High School's Almond campus. Local teens arrested by police are remanded to Teen Court where they are tried by a jury of their peers. Sentencing by Teen Court is the "real deal" and often is a teenager's last chance to avoid criminal sentencing in a formal court of law. The Teen Court recidivism rate is only about 5 percent whereas teens sentenced in the regular courts have far higher repeat offender rates. Erin became so involved in the Teen Court that she served on a second Teen Court in Antioch. It was her Teen Court involvement that started Kulesus' legal career.

While in law school she served internships in the City of Toledo Prosecutor's Office, Cook County State's Attorney's Office - Domestic Violence Division, Erie County District Attorney's Office, Buffalo, New York, and several internships with the New York Appellate Division, Fourth Department.

At law school Erin was Executive Publication Editor of the SUNY Law Review and worked on the Buffalo Public Interest Law Journal. She successfully competed as a member of the law school's Trial Advocacy Team and in the National Ethics Trial Competition, ABA Section of Dispute Resolution Representation in Mediation Competition, Regional Competition, Mediation Advocacy Competition, Intramural Competition (achieving second place in that national competition), American Association for Justice Student Trial Advocacy Competition, Regional Competition, and Herbert Wechsler Criminal Law Intramural Moot Court Competition.

Erin is the daughter of Jeff and Ami Kulesus of Gurnee, Illinois and the youngest of their five children.