Catherine Connor
Staff Attorney, Pro Bono Project Silicon Valley
Catherine Connor is a staff attorney at Pro Bono Project Silicon Valley where she provides family law legal services to protected and restrained parties of family and criminal domestic violence restraining orders. Many of her clients are immigrants, currently and recently incarcerated individuals, as well as individuals who are at the beginning of their substance-abuse recovery journeys. By working with both survivors and perpetrators, Catherine has the unique opportunity to see how the legal system’s ever-changing procedures and priorities effect California’s diverse communities. Her practice includes court representation, and she was also a family law litigator in her own solo practice. At Pro Bono Project, Catherine spearheaded the launch of a YouTube channel for self-represented individuals where both she and other attorneys provide step-by-step instructions on how to have criminal records expunged, how to get divorced, as well as how to request custody, visitation, and restraining orders in family court. Previously, Catherine filled a non-permanent staff-attorney role at Santa Clara County Superior Court’s Self-Help Center where she assisted over 900 self-represented individuals prepare their family law motions and other required legal documents.
Catherine was born quadriplegic and needs assistance with all of her activities of daily living. As a disabled attorney whose clients are predominantly non-English speaking, she is passionate about making California’s legal systems more accessible to everyone in need of legal relief. In addition to being an attorney, Catherine serves on the board of Easy Does It Emergency Services, an organization which provides emergency care, wheelchair repair and transportation to East Bay Area residents with disabilities. Catherine earned her Juris Doctorate from the Santa Clara University School of Law and her Bachelor of Arts from the University of California, Berkeley.