Courtney Kiehl

Before entering the legal field, Courtney founded A.C.H.E., Abused Children Heard Everywhere, after being abused by her gymnastics coach.

What began as a response to her own experience became more than fifteen years of advocacy focused on protecting others, supporting survivors, and pushing for accountability.

Courtney has dedicated her legal career to addressing the structural vulnerabilities that place children, athletes, and survivors at risk when institutions fail to act.

Her work is grounded in both lived experience and years of advocacy on behalf of survivors.

Courtney is widely recognized for her work examining systemic abuse within youth athletics.

Youth sports abuse cases often involve more than one offender. They can involve toxic coaching cultures, governing body oversight failures, SafeSport enforcement gaps, institutional accountability breakdowns, and the transfer or concealment of known offenders.

If abuse occurred in gymnastics, swimming, martial arts, track and field, cheer, or another organized youth athletic setting, the case may involve not only the perpetrator, but also the club, school, athletic organization, governing body, or institution that allowed the abuse to continue.

Many sexual abuse cases involve more than an individual offender. They involve institutions that failed to investigate complaints, discouraged reporting, concealed prior allegations, or protected reputation over safety.

Courtney litigates cases involving youth sports organizations, athletic clubs, private schools, educational institutions, religious and nonprofit entities, workplace and employer liability, and organizational concealment or nondisclosure practices.

Institutional liability may arise from negligent hiring, negligent supervision, vicarious liability, concealment, or related civil liability theories. Each case requires a careful investigation into what the institution knew, when it knew it, and what action was taken.

California Assembly Bill 250 creates a two year window allowing certain adult survivors of sexual assault to bring civil claims that would otherwise have been barred by the statute of limitations.

Under AB 250, eligible claims may be filed between January 1, 2026 and December 31, 2027 if specific legal conditions are met.

These cases often involve allegations that private entities or individuals were legally responsible for damages and that an organization engaged in concealment or cover up conduct.

Revival window litigation requires careful statutory analysis and investigation into prior institutional behavior. Courtney works with survivors to evaluate whether their case may qualify under AB 250 and related civil liability theories.

Courtney earned her bachelor’s degree in sociology from UCLA and her Juris Doctor from Penn State Law.

After law school, she served as a fellow in the Penn State Family Law Clinic, where she represented victim survivors of gender based violence. She was later recruited by CHILD USA, a nonprofit dedicated to protecting children and preventing abuse.

Courtney joined Paul Mones PC in 2018 and represents both adult and child survivors in complex civil sexual abuse litigation throughout California.

In addition to litigation, Courtney has participated in interdisciplinary research focused on trauma recovery and the physiological effects of sexual trauma.

She contributed to the development of an art based therapy program for survivors of sexual violence and remains active in professional organizations focused on victims’ rights.

She is on the Advisory Council for the National Crime Victim Law Institute and is a member of the National Crime Victim Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Council.

Courtney’s expertise in youth sports abuse and institutional accountability has led to public recognition and national media engagement.

She has spoken publicly about toxic coaching cultures, athlete vulnerability, SafeSport oversight, institutional prevention failures, and reforms needed to protect young athletes.

Her featured appearances and public work include the One in Ten Podcast episode, The Unique Vulnerability of Youth Athletes, coverage by Penn State about her victims’ rights advocacy, and public testimony and participation in CHILD USA’s Game Over Commission to Protect Youth Athletes.

Her work bridges litigation, policy reform, and survivor advocacy.