Catherine L. Chapman

A born problem-solver who brings efficiency to her litigation practice

Having attended school in Ireland, Catherine could have taken a backwards approach to attaining her law degree. Overseas, a J.D. is the first degree one pursues, followed by two years of an apprenticeship and then undergraduate courses. But because she was only abroad for college, Catherine took the more traditional path. Obtaining both a B.A. and an M.A. in Sociology, Catherine was a law minor, honing her interest in research and writing and her passion for problem-solving and her desire to pursue law. Upon graduation, Catherine returned to her home state of Virginia to attend William and Mary Law School, where she served as Articles Editor for the William and Mary Journal of Race and Social Justice and spoke at the Local Government Attorneys of Virginia Spring Conference, presenting on the relevance of statutory construction in a local government practice.

Civil Litigation and appellate law allow Catherine to pursue her interests in writing while always learning to improve, as they are two practices that require drafted documents and approaches that are straightforward and concise. With internships at both the Supreme Court, under the Honorable Justice Cleo E. Powell, and the Federal Court, under the Honorable Judge Arenda W. Allen, Catherine has both civil and criminal experience, drafting memos, orders, bench briefs, and filing Sections 2255 and 924C motions.

Outside of the office, Catherine spends time painting, drawing, and exploring Richmond with her husband and dog, getting to know the new city they call home.