Katherine Godin’s bio

     Over the past few years, Attorney Kate Godin has enjoyed several major successes in representing criminal defendants.  From trying (and winning) a multiple count child molestation trial, to obtaining a dismissal in a child abuse case, Kate has shown that she is willing to challenge the State at every turn.  In fact, Kate recently helped (successfully) challenge a provision of the Penalties section of Rhode Island’s Sexual Offender Registration and Community Notification Act, R.I.G.L. §§ 11-37.1-1 et seq.  After writing three legal memoranda and a filing civil complaint in the case, Superior Court Presiding Judge Rodgers found that R.I.G.L. § 11-37.1-10(c) was an unconstitutional Taking as it applied to the client.  In addition to significant results in major felony cases, Kate has also represented several clients in 32(f) proceedings, motions to expunge, and district court arraignments.

     Recently, Kate Godin won an appeal to the Massachusetts Appeals Court, in which she challenged the validity of a c. 209A restraining order issued by the Taunton District Court.

     Attorney Godin is a member of the National Association for Criminal Defense Lawyers, the Rhode Island Association for Criminal Defense Lawyers, the Rhode Island and Massachusetts Bar Associations, the Rhode Island Association for Justice, and is a recent graduate of the National Criminal Defense College.  She is licensed to practice in both Rhode Island and Massachusetts (in both state and federal court), and is a member of the CPCS Post-Conviction Panel and Sex Offender Review Board Appellate Panel.

     Attorney Godin was recently selected as one of Rhode Island’s “Rising Stars” of 2010 by SuperLawyers.com (as a result of both peer nominations and third-party evaluations).  She is also currently serving a three-year term as a member of the RI ACLU’s Board of Directors.

     Kate graduated fourth in her class, magna cum laude, from Roger Williams University School of Law.  During her time at Roger Williams, Kate strove for the best academic and practical legal experience she could receive. From teaching law to high school seniors at Cranston East in Roger Williams’ “Street Law” program, to becoming a semi-finalist in the law school’s Moot Court competition, to becoming a co-captain of the Roger Williams’ Trial Team, Kate took full advantage of the wonderful opportunities her legal education had to offer.  As a law student, Kate completed internships with the United States Attorney’s Office in Providence, criminal defense attorney (and R.I. Lawyers Weekly’s Lawyer of the Year in 2008) George J. West, Providence Superior Court Justice Daniel A. Procaccini, and United States District Court Judge Ernest C. Torres.  She also helped research and write two published law review articles for her professors, drafted several appellate briefs to the Rhode Island Supreme Court and the United States Court of Appeals for the First and Second Circuits, and has done extensive research in the areas of medical malpractice, housing, race relations, Constitutional and International law. She authored a 100-page article on the deficiencies of the Criminal Justice System, and has aided in the submission of two amicus curie briefs: one to the Rhode Island Supreme Court in the Lead Hazard Mitigation Act case of Mackie v. State, 936 A.2d 588 (R.I. 2007), and the other to the United States Supreme Court in the Exxon Valdez oil spill case of Exxon v. Baker , 128 S.Ct. 2605 (2008).

     Before law school, Kate developed her focus and strong work ethic during her time as eight-time high school National Champion in the hammer and 20-pound weight throws. Throughout high school and college, Kate competed against national record-holders and Olympians, even beating the 2000 Olympic gold medalist at the Junior World Championship in Santiago, Chile at the age of sixteen. She received training at the United States Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, CA, and from world record-holder Yuri Sedykh. She is a former high school national record-holder, and a NCAA finalist. Finishing her athletic career upon graduation with distinction from the Pennsylvania State University (where she obtained a double major in Crime, Law, & Justice and Sociology, and a minor in Women’s Studies), Kate left behind her passion for athletic competition for a career in criminal law and litigation.

     Kate Godin knows how to handle responsibility and adversity. She knows how to stay focused under the highest levels of pressure, and how to perform against the strongest of competitors. Her belief in the ideals of the Constitution and the foundation of the Criminal Justice System makes her a passionate and dedicated criminal defense attorney, and her constant desire to further her legal education and improve her researching, writing and litigation skills makes her capable of achieving positive results in various areas of the law.

Areas of Practice

Criminal Defense

Constitutional Law

Appellate Law

 Bar Admissions

• Rhode Island, 2008
• Massachusetts, 2008
• U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, 2009

 Education

• Roger Williams University School of Law, Bristol, Rhode Island, 2008
  J.D.
  Honors: Honors Program
  Honors: Academic Scholarship Recipient
  Honors: RITLA scholarship Recipient
  Honors: CALI Award for Trial Advocacy
  Honors: CALI Award for Advanced Criminal Procedure
• The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, 2005
  B.A.
  Honors: Dean’s List each Semester
  Honors: Recipient of 2 Athletic Scholarships
  Honors: NCAA finalist in the Women’s Hammer Throw
  Honors: NCAA participant in the Women’s Weight Throw
  Honors: All-Big Ten in the Women’s Hammer Throw
  Honors: Big Ten runner-up in the Women’s Hammer Throw
  Honors: ECAC record holder for the Women’s Weight Throw
  Honors: ECAC winner in the Women’s Weight Throw
  Honors: Former PSU Record Holder in the Women’s Hammer Throw
  Honors: With Distinction
  Major: Crime, Law, & Justice
  Major: Sociology
  Minor: Women’s Studies

 Professional Associations and Memberships

• NAACP, 2010-Present
• MACDL, 2010-Present
• ACLU, 2009-Present
• R.I. Affiliate, ACLU, 2009-Present
• NACDL, 2008 – Present
• RIACDL, 2008 – Present
• R.I. Bar Association, 2008 – Present
• Massachusetts Bar Association, 2008 – Present
• RIAJ, 2008 – Present
• AAJ, 2008 – Present
• R.I. Women’s Bar Association, 2008-Present

 Past Employment Positions

• The Law Offices of Matthew T. Marin, Esq., Inc., Independent Contractor, 2009
• Corley & Associates, Associate – 2008-2009
• Corley Taveras, LLP, Associate, 2008
• Law Office of George J. West, Law Clerk, 2007 – 2008
• U.S. Dist. Ct., D.R.I., Clerk/Intern, 2007
• Providence Superior Court, Clerk/Intern, 2007
• Roger Williams – SOL, Research Assistant, 2006 – 2008
• U.S. Attorney’s Office, Intern, 2006

 Fraternities/Sororities

• Alpha Phi Sigma
• Alpha Kappa Delta

For more information about legal representation of those charged with sex crimes, please visit: http://katherinegodinlaw.com/areas-of-law/sex-crimes/

Katherine E. Godin, Esq.

The Law Office of Katherine Godin, Inc.

615 Jefferson Blvd.

Warwick, RI 02886

Phone: (401) 274-2423

Fax: (401) 489-7580

Email: kg@katherinegodinlaw.com

Website: http://www.katherinegodinlaw.com