Career Journey
It Takes a Village:
Working Mom Kathryn Collins Talks Motherhood, Litigation and Volunteerism
July 2024
Working Mom Kathryn Collins Talks Motherhood, Litigation and Volunteerism
July 2024
Photo Courtesy: Kathryn Collins
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.
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.
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.
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Speaking of the mom in you, how do you balance the demands of being a partner in a busy law practice with the demands of your own family?
I have twin nine-year-old girls and a son who’s ten and a half. It’s a juggling act, but I just do it. I think the benefit for me is that I had children later on in life. I was married at 38 and working at a firm in New York City. I had my son right away and learned very quickly how to become even more efficient than I had been previously. My first job is being a mom. I will not sacrifice that. It was clear that practicing in the city wasn’t going to fit my plans. I called an old friend who had been inviting me to join his practice. Now I’m 15 minutes from my children. My firm is very family-friendly. When I’m on trial, I miss things, but I’m still at 90 percent of school events. I’m active in the PTO. I created a local travel baseball team with some other moms during COVID, and I’m on the board of that. I’m involved with hospice. Somehow, I make it work. But it takes a big village, and I have a big village. My husband is a true team player. My parents and sister are nearby. The ‘mom guilt’ in me is that I hope my children see the benefits of hard work and fostering the relationships around you and giving back to your community. |
Kathryn with Her Family
Photo Courtesy: Kathryn Collins |
Dinner with Family
Photo Courtesy: Kathryn Collins |
I’m home for bedtime 95 percent of the time, to read to them and tuck them in, but that 5 percent kills me. I wonder if they’re only going to remember that 5 percent, or as they age are they going to see the whole picture I tried to create for them.
You can do more if you want to. If you don’t, I respect that, too. I try to involve my kids in all the things I do. They get annoyed with me, but I explain that Mommy does this to benefit you guys and the community we live in. Once I had to pick them up from sports practice and go directly to a meeting, so I took them with me. They observed three things: how some adults handle themselves; how many people have ideas but don’t think them through; and that if you want to make a point and have people listen to it, you have to do it without getting upset. When you lose your composure, people stop paying attention to the idea you’re trying to get across. They stopped giving me flak. Do you have tips for other working moms? Everybody’s family dynamics are different. But if you follow and trust that your heart and your mind are in the right place, even though it might disrupt the dynamic in the short term but will benefit the long term, go for it. |
I think women lead the fights for 90 percent of the things in this world. Use your ‘mom strengths’ and ‘mom brains’ to effectuate change. The benefits down the road will be well worth it.
And talk to your kids about it. Try to figure out the right way to communicate with them at their various stages of life. I spend enough time with my kids to know how each of them needs to be communicated with.
I think being a working mom is a path no one else can understand. When I was a partner in a New York City law firm, I didn’t understand why things needed to change. Knowing that now and having dealt with a multitude of people, I understand you have to assess who it is you’re communicating with. Find a way to bridge the communication, so you can be effective without losing your footing. Tamp down your frustration and anger at those who don’t understand. Find a path to help them see.
Where do you find sanctuary?
I exercise — anything I can do to get my heart rate going and sweat and clear my mind. If I’m struggling with a case or with parenting, exercise stops all the noise in my head.
And talk to your kids about it. Try to figure out the right way to communicate with them at their various stages of life. I spend enough time with my kids to know how each of them needs to be communicated with.
I think being a working mom is a path no one else can understand. When I was a partner in a New York City law firm, I didn’t understand why things needed to change. Knowing that now and having dealt with a multitude of people, I understand you have to assess who it is you’re communicating with. Find a way to bridge the communication, so you can be effective without losing your footing. Tamp down your frustration and anger at those who don’t understand. Find a path to help them see.
Where do you find sanctuary?
I exercise — anything I can do to get my heart rate going and sweat and clear my mind. If I’m struggling with a case or with parenting, exercise stops all the noise in my head.
Kathryn C. Collins joined Feldman, Kleidman, Collins & Sappe LLP (FKC&S) in 2016 and became the first woman partner in 2019. In 2022, she received an AV Preeminent® Peer Rated Attorney designation through Martindale-Hubbell, the most reliable peer rating standard in the legal industry.
Kathryn earned her B.A. in English from SUNY Purchase and J.D. from Brooklyn Law School. A member of the New York State Bar Association, New York Medical Defense Bar Association, and American Bar Association, Kathryn has tried multiple cases to verdict and has successfully defended cases involving medical malpractice and general liability matters in both Federal and State Courts.
Kathryn resides in Hopewell Junction, New York, with her husband, Jim, their three children, and their rescue dog, Pongo. Outside of work, she is an avid skier, is vocal on women’s issues, is active in her school district, and is a supporter of animal adoptions. She serves on the Hudson Valley Hospice Foundation Board and the board for Kent White Sox Travel Baseball League.
Kathryn earned her B.A. in English from SUNY Purchase and J.D. from Brooklyn Law School. A member of the New York State Bar Association, New York Medical Defense Bar Association, and American Bar Association, Kathryn has tried multiple cases to verdict and has successfully defended cases involving medical malpractice and general liability matters in both Federal and State Courts.
Kathryn resides in Hopewell Junction, New York, with her husband, Jim, their three children, and their rescue dog, Pongo. Outside of work, she is an avid skier, is vocal on women’s issues, is active in her school district, and is a supporter of animal adoptions. She serves on the Hudson Valley Hospice Foundation Board and the board for Kent White Sox Travel Baseball League.
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Carol Lippert Gray is an award-winning public relations professional and longtime freelance writer and editor. Her career has spanned books, newspapers, magazines, broadcast, and online media in fields as diverse as crafts and corporate finance, parenting and philanthropy. She is Sanctuary's associate editor.
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