Katherine Courtney honored with Humanitarian Award

Attorney Katherine E. Courtney is this year’s recipient of the Foundation of the Monroe County Bar Association’s Humanitarian Award.

Courtney said the award is “very humbling.”

“I don’t think anything I’ve done is out of the ordinary or extra special. I feel like I’ve just done what was modeled for me when I became an attorney,” she said.

“This award is often a culmination of someone’s entire practice, their entire lifespan in the legal community. I would like to think I’m still just getting started that there’s more I can do,” she said.

Established in 2003, the award recognizes individuals and organizations whose service reflects the Foundation’s mission of advancing justice and community well-being in Monroe County.

Foundation officials cited Courtney’s “extraordinary commitment to ensuring equal access to justice.”

“Through her work, she has helped strengthen legal institutions, expanded legal services for underserved communities, and fostered a deeper public understanding of the law. Her dedication exemplifies the values that the Foundation seeks to celebrate,” Foundation officials wrote in the announcement of the award.

In a letter in support of Courtney’s nomination for the award, Kevin F. Ryan, former executive director of the Monroe County Bar Association and current director of special projects, wrote that he has been “greatly impressed by (Courtney’s) organizational skills, her energy and enthusiasm, and most importantly, her strong leadership in these roles.”

“In a relatively short professional career, Ms. Courtney has risen to the top of her profession, making remarkable and long-lasting contributions to her professional community and to the Rochester community as a whole,” Ryan wrote.

“On top of her professional achievements, she is a truly admirable woman, a good friend, an exceptional mother, a role model for many, someone who always seeks ways to improve the lives of others,” he wrote.

“Here is a woman who has gone far, done much, and earned the respect of her peers in an amazingly short time, a woman who reflects the best of the human spirit. In my mind, that defines excellence,” Ryan wrote.

Courtney is supervisor attorney for the Disability Advocacy Program of the Empire Justice Center. She will be presented with the award at this year’s Jazz for Justice event on Oct. 24.

Jazz for Justice, the main annual fundraiser for the Foundation, combines live jazz music with a silent auction. Proceeds support the Foundation and other local nonprofit organizations.

In 2003, Courtney received a bachelor’s degree at Niagara University with a major in social work, and a minor in law and jurisprudence.

She received a master’s degree in social work at the University at Buffalo in 2005, and her law degree at University at Buffalo School of Law in 2006.

Her first job after law school was in the Disability Advocacy Program at the Empire Justice Center, and focused on Supplemental Security Income clients.

Courtney became so knowledgeable in the field that she provided training to parents and professionals across the country.

In October 2011 Courtney went to work as an attorney in the Social Security Office of Hearing Operations. Before returning to Empire Justice in December 2024, Courtney spent almost six years as a law clerk to a federal magistrate judge handling Social Security disability cases.

Courtney said she considers being a lawyer “much more than a job.”

“It’s a much greater calling if you let it be,” said Courtney, 44, who lives in Spencerport with her four children.

“In the legal community I have skills that can help people so why not share them?” she said.

Courtney was nominated for the Humanitarian Award by the Greater Rochester Association for Women Attorneys (GRAWA).

“Since entering the legal profession 18 years ago, Katie has done much to improve the administration of justice and encourage better public understanding of the law,” wrote Wende J. Knapp, who was GRAWA president in March, when the nomination was submitted.

Courtney was president of GRAWA from 2018 to 2019 and president of the Foundation from 2020 to 2021.

“Katie does much to make legal institutions more responsive to the public interest, improve the delivery of legal services, encourage legal services to the underserved, and support legal education,” Knapp wrote.

Knapp also noted that Courtney has volunteered her time and talent by helping provide continuing legal education through committees of the MCBA and GRAWA.

“She recognized, even as a relatively new member at the time, the importance of camaraderie, stewardship, and mentorship and created an environment where newer attorneys could feel comfortable,” Knapp wrote.

Courtney also has been active in the Women’s Bar Association of the State of New York (WBASNY), of which, GRAWA is one of 20 chapters.

During her term as GRAWA president, Courtney served as a member of the WBASNY Executive Committee, which is responsible for governing the statewide organization. She also served as a statewide co-chair of WBASNY’s legislative committee.

“Katie has undertaken all these roles with unparalleled dedication and enthusiasm. Those who know and work with Katie invariably comment on her energy, commitment, and positive leadership style,” Knapp wrote.

According to past GRAWA President Randi Proukou, Courtney “continues to inspire those around her with her energy, commitment, and positive leadership.”

“She never turns away an opportunity to step into a role where leadership, support, or hard work is needed,” Proukou wrote.

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