Windy city workforce

This department spotlights a relatively recent addition to the workforce, focusing on the person’s educational or working background, daily responsibilities, challenges, passions, frustrations and outlook for his or her future in the field.

Name: Kathryn Doi
Age: 29
Company: City of Chicago Department of Law
Title: Assistant Corporation Counsel, Individual Defense Litigation Division
College path:
• B.A. in English and Japanese at Notre Dame
• J.D. at Northwestern Law

How you ended up here: I started at a law firm right out of school, primarily defending one huge corporate client in personal injury lawsuits. Usually, the city was sued along with our client in those cases. I was always impressed by the the city’s attorneys. When I was looking for a change from law firm life, I applied to the city’s law department and was hired into this division.

How long you’ve been at it: I’ve been an attorney for four years, and I have been at the city for a year and a half.

Who you answer to: Our big boss is Mara Georges, Corporation Counsel for the city. There’s a deputy and two chiefs that oversee our division, and several supervisors that we go to for help on our cases. We ultimately answer to our clients.

Hours your boss expects you to be at work: We are expected be at work from 9 to 5, Monday through Friday. Sometimes it’s an eight-hour day. Other times, it can be a 10-to-12-hour day, including weekends. And when briefs are due or we are in the middle of a trial, we are there around the clock. It all depends on what it takes to get the job done, and done right.

Job reputation: Our division represents city employees who are being sued by plaintiffs for violation of their civil rights. My clients are all Chicago police officers. The claims range from false arrest and excessive force to wrongful death, and they’re filed in federal and state civil court.

Breakdown of what people anticipate from you:
We are in charge of our own individual case load, from the gathering of evidence, preparation and depositions of witnesses and settlement negotiations, up to and all the way through trial. There is an incredible amount of responsibility involved. Not only are we protecting the officers’ dignity and reputation with the police department, but we also must think about protecting both the personal assets of the officers and the potential financial exposure to the city.

What your friends assume you do: They either confuse me with a criminal prosecutor or think I am a cop-in-training. Most of the time, they are just happy when I am able to show up to our football and bowling leagues on time.

Important projects: My biggest cases currently are two police-related shootings, one of which ended in a fatality, a death of an arrestee in the police lockup and a reversed conviction case where the plaintiff alleges that he was coerced by detectives into falsely confessing that he killed his mother.

Best perk: Contrary to popular belief, we don’t get free CTA fare or a break on parking tickets! I think the best perk is the variety of experiences we have on a daily basis. I never thought I’d be visiting crime scenes wearing a bulletproof vest, or driving to prison downstate to take a statement of a convicted murderer. It’s a lot of fun.

Where can you go from here: To be tossed headfirst into your own caseload is daunting, but it has taught me so much about time management and how to deal with difficult personalities, like hostile witnesses and opposing counsel, and even, sometimes, clients. I co-chaired a jury trial in federal court this past October, which we won. I am definitely looking forward to getting more trials under my belt.

I know it’s a good day when: I can laugh. You can’t take this type of work too seriously, or it will eat away at you. It’s easy to see humor in things when you really enjoy the people you work with.

I have trouble dealing with: Settling a case that has a real shot at winning at trial. Settling to avoid the high costs of trial is frustrating at times, but it can make the most sense economically for the city and for the officers.

Things can get tense... Almost every day. Civil rights litigation is the most contentious type of law to practice because there is such a high personal stake in it. These cases are not clear-cut one way or the other. Most of the officers I defend take these lawsuits to heart, and it upsets them to get sued, especially when they believe they did their job well and with respect towards the other person.

What might you change if given the chance: The media’s perception of police officers in Chicago is disheartening. A few bad cops have done things that have tainted the reputation of the department, and unfortunately they seem to be the only ones you ever hear about in the news. Most of the officers I encounter are just trying to do the best they can on their beat and get back to their families in one piece at the end of the day.

Why you have a smile when you come to work: Realizing that what I do on a daily basis has a purpose and a meaning to my clients is what makes me smile. At one time, or in the Deep South, lawyers were referred to as “Counselors.” I never knew what that meant until I came to this job. To guide and counsel my clients through this tricky legal process is sometimes difficult, but always rewarding.

Advice for the field: Don’t be afraid of trying something that you never thought you’d be doing. If someone had told me in law school that I would be defending cops for a living, I would have thought they were crazy. But I’m sure glad I gave it a shot. Also, if you’re thinking about public-service work, put down the Gucci and practice living on a lower salary. A much lower salary.

Click here for more Windy City Workforce