Katherine (Katie) Courtney is an accomplished attorney with extensive experience in social security law and disability advocacy. Admitted to the New York State Bar in 2007, she spent five years at Empire Justice Center in the Disability Advocacy Program, providing direct legal services and conducting community trainings. In 2024, Katie returned to Empire Justice, bringing a wealth of knowledge from her prior role as an Attorney Advisor with the Office of Disability Adjudication and Review, where she drafted decisions for the Social Security Administration’s administrative law judges and trained new decision writers nationwide. Katie also served as a law clerk in the Western District of New York.
A dedicated leader in the local legal community, Katie has held prominent positions, including President of both the Greater Rochester Association for Women Attorneys and the Foundation of the Monroe County Bar Association. She holds a Juris Doctor and Master of Social Work from the University at Buffalo, and a Bachelor’s in Social Work from Niagara University.
