Kathleen has over fifteen years of experience representing federal employees in employment matters, with a focus on national security and intelligence community whistleblower retaliation cases. She has represented employees from the National Security Agency, Central Intelligence Agency, Federal Bureau of Investigation, US Agency for International Development, Department of Defense, Department of State, and Department of Homeland Security. Kathleen has litigated cases at the administrative and appellate levels, including before the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB), the Office of Special Counsel (OSC), and the Office of Attorney Recruitment and Management (OARM).
Prior to joining the Firm, Kathleen served for ten years as Deputy Director of the Whistleblower and Source Protection Program (WHISPeR) at ExposeFacts, where she provided pro bono legal advice to media sources, whistleblowers, and journalists. She also previously worked at the Government Accountability Project, where she handled national security whistleblower cases and worked in the American Civil Liberties Union’s Washington Legislative Office on surveillance and civil rights issues.
Kathleen has appeared on television and radio programs, including NPR, CNN, The Progressive Radio Network, and Al-Jazeera English, spoken at international conferences on national security whistleblowing and journalism, and written academic articles and op-eds focused on whistleblowing and national security.
Education
Kathleen earned her J.D., cum laude, from the University of Wisconsin Law School. In law school, she interned at the Wisconsin Court of Appeals and worked for a small criminal defense firm. She has a B.A., magna cum laude, from St. Mary’s College of Maryland.
Bar Admissions
Kathleen is licensed to practice law in Washington, D.C. and Maryland. She is admitted to practice at the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals and the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals.