Kenneth J. Allen studied in Cambridge, England, fought as a light-heavyweight on the Cambridge University boxing team (CUABC) and majored in English at Valparaiso University. He earned his JD cum laude at Indiana University’s Mauer School of Law, where he was a Stephenson Fellow. He is a former Judge pro tempore and is a member of the Bar of the U.S. Supreme Court, Illinois and Indiana Supreme Courts, and the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals.
Mr. Allen has appeared as counsel for the plaintiff in over 100 trials and published appellate court decisions, winning more than $250,000,000 in verdicts without reduction for comparative fault. His cases have been listed among the country’s "Top 10 Verdicts" and reported in USA TODAY, WALL STREET JOURNAL, VANITY FAIR, CRANE'S CHICAGO BUSINESS, CHICAGO SUN TIMES, LA TIMES, BOSTON GLOBE, CHICAGO TRIBUNE, and the NEW YORK TIMES.
Mr. Allen has been a member of the Jeremiah Milbank Society, an elite group of philanthropists dedicated to supporting local Boys & Girls Clubs in America; the IU Arbutus Society, supporting the IU Foundation; the Kimberling Society supporting the Mauer School of Law; the IU Lilly Family School of Philanthropy; the IU School of Medicine: J.O. Ritchey Society. He is a lifetime member of the NAACP (Chairman’s Circle); and was named to the United Way‘s Tocqueville Society, which recognizes local philanthropic leaders and volunteer champions in the United States and France. He was the recipient of the Fifth Annual Child Safety Advocate Award “for outstanding dedication in forwarding the issues of child safety,” awarded by the IU School of Medicine and the INDIANA SAFE KIDS COALITION. He has been a proud supporter of Lambda Legal, Legal Services for the Poor, the Equal Justice Fund and Unite 2 Fight Paralysis. Honored by the Boy Scouts of America - Calumet Council for his community and legal contributions, Mr. Allen has supported that organization as well as the YMCA, the Methodist Hospital Foundation Inc., and the Provena - Saint Joseph Hospital Foundation.
He is a longtime supporter of the United Way, sponsoring the Kinderprint program, providing ID kits and safety education to thousands of schoolchildren and the Reading Buddies program, which provides 4,000 first and second graders with stuffed animal “buddies” to whom they read for 15 minutes each day. Mr. Allen is also a proud supporter of the Boys & Girls Clubs sponsoring the Kids’ Stop program for before and after-school child care at the local Boys & Girls Club. He also sponsors the Teachers of Excellence program, which selects and honors area elementary and high school teachers every week featuring them in area newspapers. Working through charities, local schools and Ken4Kids.org, Mr. Allen has provided thousands of winter coats, bicycle helmets, backpacks filled with school supplies, Thanksgiving meals and Christmas gifts to needy children and families throughout Northwest Indiana for two decades. He has also donated extensively to Catholic Charities as well as the Caring Place for Women and Children and supported the Rainbow Shelter, the Stepping Stone Shelter for Women, St. Jude House, Hilltop Neighborhood House, the Mercy Home for Boys & Girls, Sojourner Truth House, Moraine House and Chicago South Side Youth.