Katy L. Conklin

Katy Conklin began her career as a social worker in the 1980’s. It was during that time as an advocate on behalf of domestic violence survivors that she decided to attend law school and become an attorney. She graduated from Michigan State University, Cum Laude, with a Bachelor of Social Work. Katy is a graduate of the Thomas M. Cooley Law School. She has been licensed to practice law in the State of Michigan since 1996. 

Katy has over 25 years as a family court practitioner, and extensive experience in providing representation to individuals in Social Security Disability Appeals, Federal District Court, Circuit, District, Family and Probate Court, including Juvenile Delinquency matters, Child Welfare and Child Protection proceedings, Conservators and Guardianships, advanced directives, and wills and estates. 

Katy is known both statewide and nationally as a legal educator, speaker, and legal trainer for lawyers, judges, legal advocates, mental health professionals, physicians, and other professionals. She was especially skilled at complicated litigation in Family Court involving interstate abductions and kidnapping, both interstate and internationally. She is a past supervising attorney for the Domestic Violence Unit of Legal Services of South-Central Michigan in Lansing, Michigan, and was the lead attorney for the Civil Justice Project of the Michigan Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence.

In 2017, Katy was recognized by the Women Lawyers Association Foundation of Michigan with the “Do Good Grant Award” for her steadfast and continued pursuit of justice in Michigan in her work as Executive Director of Hope Shores Alliance. 

In 2005, Katy earned, from the Women Lawyers Association Foundation of Women, the Ford Mentiuum Award for her continuing and passionate work in public interest law and legal accomplishments. 

In May 2003 the American Bar Association awarded the LEXIS/NEXUS Community Outreach and Education Award to the Pro Bono Project for Domestic Violence Victims, a program developed under Katy’s leadership that partnered the Michigan Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence/Civil Justice Project and the State Bar of Michigan. Throughout the life of this project, which spanned from 2001-2005, nearly 900 attorneys were trained to provide at least 30 hours of Pro Bono representation to survivors of domestic and sexual violence in District, Circuit, Family and Probate Court. In addition, Katy provided on-going technical assistance to attorneys and Judges that attended the training.