When it comes to pro bono service, Kate St. Romain, Partner at Fried Frank, exemplifies using her legal tools in direct representation and systemic advocacy to defend and protect her clients and community members at every level. Her incredible ability to help those in her community through innovative legal strategy is paralleled by her compassion, judgement, and leadership. While her representation has spanned across many areas of law, she works tirelessly to support survivors of domestic violence through direct representation and aims to strengthen the legal framework that protects women and families through systemic advocacy. 

On an individual basis, she approaches each pro bono case with empathy and determination. Her recent projects span from obtaining social security benefits in a disability matter, corporate advice in conjunction with the sale of local small business assets, and obtaining federal habeas relief on behalf of an asylum seeker. She is currently working on a custody case, expungement case, and CPO case. When presented with the opportunity to help, Kate steps in to ensure justice prevails.

Kate is also a longstanding volunteer with DC Volunteer Legal Advocates (DCVLA). Through her connection to DCVLA, Kate has represented dozens of victims of domestic violence and at-risk children. A notable case from her time with DCVLA is advocating for a deaf domestic violence survivor in a divorce case that has grown increasingly contentious and now sits in the DC Court of Appeals. Her determination for her client lead to a complete victory in an evidentiary hearing and continued efforts to obtain additional safeguards for her client. Sara Tennen, DCVLA’s Executive Director, said that “Kate has empowered countless individuals to break free from cycles of abuse and establish secure environments for themselves and their families.”

At a systemic level, Kate revisits the issues she sees in those individual cases as she advocates for stronger protections for women and families. She advocated alongside Jewish Women International urging the Supreme Court to keep firearms out of the hands of known perpetrators of domestic violence and participated in a webinar exploring the implications of the outcome for the safety and rights of domestic violence survivors. She also contributed to Supreme Court advocacy on reproductive rights, authoring a brief on Moyle v. United States, and amplifying the voices of women’s advocacy groups and advanced legal arguments protecting their safety, health, and autonomy. 

Kate’s positive impact also extends to the legal community as she serves as a leader for other lawyers at Fried Frank that want to take on pro bono cases. She currently supervises attorneys from nearly every department and has encouraged 25 Fried Frank associates (nearly ⅓ of those in the DC office) to take a case with DCVLA. 

Beyond her caseload, Kate is an active contributor to the DC public interest community. She has been a strong supporter for Legal Aid DC’s “Making Justice Real Campaign,” helping associates understand the critical function of Legal Aid DC’s mission and their role in supporting that mission. She has also volunteered for several years as a Mock Trial instructor at School Without Walls, through the School Partnership Project of the Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs.

Kate’s sustained involvement across multiple organizations reflects her holistic approach to community engagement—supporting individuals and nonprofits and advocating for systemic reform.

Through nine years of consistent, hands-on advocacy for DC’s most vulnerable residents, she has advanced the cause of justice, strengthened the city’s public interest community and inspired countless lawyers to do the same.

Join us in honoring Kate’s incredible pro bono service at the 2025 Justice Impact Awards! Get your ticket today!