Karen Kendall was born in Clearwater, Fla., and came to Illinois in 1959. She majored in philosophy at Southern Illinois University as an undergraduate, and earned her master’s degree from there in American history. In 1981, she graduated from Southern Illinois University School of Law, receiving her degree with honors. She was named S.I.U. Law School Alumnus of the Year in 1996. She has been practicing law in Peoria since 1984 after having begun her law career as a judicial law clerk.