Katherine Lease

Senior Counsel Katherine Lease conducts legal research and provides litigation support to the firm’s attorneys in all types of employment matters.  Katherine graduated with honors from William & Mary Law School.  During law school, Katherine’ studies concentrated on employment law and client-focused advocacy.  She worked at the Parents Engaged for Learning Equality Clinic, assisting families in special education and disciplinary matters. She also interned at the Virginia Department of Labor.

Katherine served as the Senior Notes Editor on William & Mary’s Journal of Race, Gender and Social Justice.  The journal published Katherine’s note, which examined association discrimination and argued for an expansion of reasonable accommodations under the ADA to protect and support working parents of children with disabilities.

Prior to law school, Katherine worked as a litigation paralegal in a media corporation’s general counsel office.

Katherine received her B.A. from Fordham University.  While completing her undergraduate studies, Katherine interned for the New York State Division of Human Rights, assisting on employment and housing discrimination issues throughout New York City.  She also conducted extensive research in the Deaf community, and she wrote a paper that was selected for presentation at a national conference on disability rights.  Katherine’s passion for advocacy and employment discrimination stems from her personal ties and ongoing involvement in the Deaf community.

Published Works

“A Reasonable Solution for Working Parents: Expanding Reasonable Accommodation Under the Americans with Disabilities Act to Parents of Children with Disabilities,” William & Mary Journal of Race, Gender, and Social Justice, Volume 25, Issue 3 (2019).