New York State Family Justice Initiative: Strategic Plan
Kate Wurmfeld, Esq. has over 20 years of experience advancing family justice through direct legal services, systems reform and interdisciplinary program design. Kate is currently the Senior Director of Family Court Programs at the Center for Justice Innovation (Center) where she oversees the Center’s problem-solving Family Court operating programs, including the Strong Starts Court Initiative, Parent Support Program, and Young Parent Initiative. Strong Starts and Parent Support Program both started as pilots and Kate was instrumental in scaling those initiatives throughout New York City and State. Kate also provides training and strategic planning advice to courts statewide and nationally wishing to improve their responses to children and families, including on the Family Justice Initiative. Led by the NYS Unified Court System with funding from the Governor’s Office, Kate helped facilitate a strategic planning process to develop a broad vision and comprehensive plan for the future of Family Court statewide.
Kate spent more than a decade providing direct legal services on family related court matters, most recently as a supervising attorney for Matrimonial and Family Law at New York Legal Assistance Group, where she handled divorce, custody, orders of protection and support matters in Supreme and Family Court throughout New York City. In addition to providing direct legal services, Kate also provided supervision to staff attorneys, law students and volunteers, taught clinical seminars, lobbied the NYS Legislature for protections against gender-based violence, served as Co-Chair of the Lawyers Committee Against Domestic Violence to advance policy and legislative goals on behalf of survivors, and provided training for outside organizations, community groups and law firms.
Kate began her legal career at Proskauer Rose, where she worked on complex labor and employment litigation. At Proskauer, Kate also handled numerous pro bono matters, supporting both impact litigation to promote voting, reproductive and prisoners’ rights, as well as representing individual clients in criminal and family court matters. Kate received a pro bono award from the Legal Aid Society for her work successfully representing defendants eligible for re-sentencing under amendments to the Rockefeller Drug Laws. Kate graduated from Seton Hall Law School in 2005 and Oberlin College in 1997. She was admitted to the New York State Bar in 2006 and is still in good standing.