Kathryn C. Collins Interview with Sanctuary Magazine
Kathryn C. Collins was recently interviewed by Sanctuary Magazine, sharing her experiences on motherhood, litigation, and volunteerism; read the full article here.
It Takes a Village:
Working Mom Kathryn Collins Talks Motherhood, Litigation and Volunteerism
By Carol Lippert Gray
Kathryn Collins thinks being a lawyer makes her a better mother. She also thinks being a mother makes her a better lawyer. And living and working in a community — in her case, in the Hudson Valley Region of New York — means she feels a responsibility to help make conditions better on all fronts.
She specializes in malpractice litigation, professional liability litigation, and general liability litigation. She has a husband and three young children. And she’s an active volunteer. It’s not always easy, but with hard work, organization, and an ability to communicate on many levels, she’s getting it done. I wanted to know why and how
What drew you to practicing law?
I come from a long line of lawyers. My father does medical malpractice work as well. When I was in high school, I worked at his firm during the summers. He brought me to a trial in which he represented six doctors. I was fascinated. It probably was a five-week trial, and I watched the entirety of it and then talked with my dad about it on the way home.
As in To Kill a Mockingbird, my dad was my own Atticus Finch. Now he’s of counsel to our firm and just celebrated his 80th birthday. Litigators who are quite special at what they do have a hard time disengaging from the law. I’m lucky I get to pick his brain and still spend time with my dad.
You’re currently representing a 13-year-old girl who allegedly was raped by a FedEx driver. What is that like?
The case is ongoing. I think cases like this come around once in a lifetime, where you have a real opportunity as a mother, as a woman, and as a lawyer. Those are three very different roles I find myself participating in [during] this lawsuit, but I try to just keep my lawyer hat on. This predator took advantage of her and now her life will forever be changed. I’m trying to find the means to limit the ongoing damage to her and to the rest of her life that this event has caused. She’s somebody who may not have had the same support system others have had. The mom in me wants to wrap her up and fix her. The lawyer wants to help her carve a better path for herself going forward.
