Appellate lawyer Katherine Mims Crocker joined the William & Mary Law School faculty effective May 25 to teach courses in local government and property. She will also conduct research on the constitutional system and the protection of individual rights and institutional prerogatives at the nation’s oldest law school. Crocker left McGuireWoods earlier this month to begin her new position.
Crocker joined McGuireWoods in Richmond in 2014 after clerking for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. She focused on appellate litigation, constitutional law and dispositive motions and provided strategic analysis to clients on a range of issues.
Crocker argued the 2017 case United States v. Carthorne before the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for a pro bono client who alleged ineffective assistance of counsel in sentencing. The panel ruled unanimously for the firm’s client and ordered a new sentencing.
“My time at McGuireWoods has meant the world to me,” Crocker said. “I’ve learned so much about what it means to be a great lawyer and am honored to have seen firsthand what the firm has accomplished over the past several years. I’m confident that my McGuireWoods experience will serve me well as I help prepare law students for the profession.”
Crocker graduated first in her class from the University of Virginia School of Law, where she served as articles development editor on the managing board of the Virginia Law Review. She earned her undergraduate degree in history and science, cum laude, from Harvard University.
“I could not be prouder or happier for Katherine,” said Jonathan Blank, chair of the firm’s Business & Securities Litigation Department. “She epitomizes the best of McGuireWoods, where attorneys can hone their skills, make lifetime friends and pursue dreams. Katherine will make us proud in her new position.”
“Katherine’s insightful and persuasive analysis of complex legal questions made her a valuable contributor to our appellate practice and an asset to our clients,” said managing partner J. Tracy Walker IV. “We are grateful for her contributions and excited about the positive influence she will have on future generations of lawyers.”