Justice Law Collaborative Co-Founder Kim Dougherty Named a 2025 Lelia J. Robinson Award Recipient
BOSTON, Mass. (June 25, 2025) – Justice Law Collaborative (JLC) co-founder and partner Kimberly (Kim) Dougherty has been named a 2025 Lelia J. Robinson Award recipient by the Women’s Bar Association of Massachusetts (WBA).
The Lelia J. Robinson Award, named after the first woman admitted to practice in Massachusetts, recognizes women who are pioneers in the legal profession, have achieved professional excellence, have positively influenced the advancement of women pursuing legal careers, and have made a difference in their community. Past recipients include Massachusetts’ 73rd Governor Maura Healey and the 38th Chief Justice of the Supreme Judicial Court, Kimberly Budd, among many notable others.
Dougherty, who earned a Master’s degree in Social Work in addition to her Juris Doctor, has combined expertise from both fields to passionately advocate on behalf of people who have been harmed by sexual and physical assault, personal injury, human trafficking, wrongful death, and institutional neglect. Her reputation as a creative and trauma-informed litigator was earned by leading efforts to gather evidence and significantly contribute to reaching a settlement related to hundreds of painful deaths caused by fungus-contaminated steroids manufactured by Framingham, MA-based New England Compounding Center Pharmacy (“NECC”). Kim’s efforts in the NECC case earned her the Massachusetts Lawyer of the Year award in 2015.
Additionally, Kim continues to successfully lead and participate in numerous high profile cases including athletes abused by Olympic doctor Larry Nassar, teenagers tormented and trafficked by hostile, unregulated facilities parading as therapy-based programs for “troubled” teens, and wrongful death and abuse cases against some of the country’s most prestigious universities who fail to adequately protect the students in their care. Kim is actively leading litigation to hold Stanford University accountable for the wrongful death of Katie Meyer. Meyer, who co-captained Stanford University’s women’s soccer team and led it to national victory as its goalie in 2019, died by suicide in her dorm room mere months before her graduation as a result of Stanford’s egregious misconduct and neglect.
“I am truly honored to be recognized by the WBA and do not take lightly the significance of this award,” said Dougherty. “I will strive, each day, to continue to live up to its meaning while pursuing greater protections for the most vulnerable among us both in the courtroom and at state houses nationwide, and through my efforts to lecture and mentor other women seeking to develop skills to become leaders in this profession and make a difference in the lives of others.”
Kim’s steadfast resolve to deliver trauma-informed legal advocacy is matched by her intensity to transform legislation, activism that was engaged when she served as WBA President.Her commitment to legislative reform is evident in her successes. In 2015, she testified passionately in support of several Massachusetts bills that were passed into law, all of which created greater protections for women and children, including the Massachusetts Equal Pay Bill. Since then, Kim has invested countless hours testifying in front of state legislators and drafting legislation to modernize antiquated laws in hopes of further protecting the innocent. Kim today advocates for survivors of human trafficking, sexual assault, and those traumatized by the egregious mishandling of human life. Her work in and out of the courtroom has helped ensure the closure of facilities that mistreat children, has resulted in the removal of dangerous drugs and devices from the market, and has established safer laws throughout the country. Most recently, her advocacy assisted in the September 2024 passage of Katie Meyer’s Law, which provides valuable legal safeguards and support to college students facing challenges in California.
WBA President Julie D. Palmer said, “Attorney Dougherty embodies the spirit of the Lelia J. Robinson Award, both through the skill and determination she brings to her substantive work and through her enthusiastic mentorship and education of others in our legal community. The WBA is honored and excited to celebrate Attorney Dougherty achievements and contributions to the profession.”
Kim remains a sought after speaker, lecturing on nationwide trauma-informed litigation best practices, approaches to holding abusers and institutions that turn a blind eye accountable, and gender equity in the legal profession. She also serves as a legal contributor for media including CNN, USA Today, NBC News, ESPN, and others, providing legal analysis for high-profile abuse, wrongful death and institutional negligence cases. She is a former president of the Women’s Bar Association of Massachusetts (2015-2016) and current Board of Directors member for Guardians of the Streets, which brings hope and comfort to vulnerable people challenged by addiction, mental health concerns, and homelessness in our local communities; and Katie’s Save, which aims to make mental health resources for college students more accessible, to protect students, and prevent suicide.
Alongside Dougherty, the WBA recognized attorney Laura Gal of the Greater Boston Legal Services, an attorney who, for nearly thirty years, has provided legal services to low-income women engaged in systemic law reform.
About Justice Law Collaborative
Justice Law Collaborative (JLC), with offices in California and Massachusetts, embodies the highest level of professional, trauma-informed legal expertise associated with social justice and advocacy. Owned and led entirely by women, the firm has represented athletes abused by Olympic coach Larry Nassar, teenagers tormented by hostile, uncertified schools parading as therapy-based programs for troubled teens, and has represented consumers and patients harmed by corporate greed and negligence, specifically the pharmaceutical, reproductive medicine, and tobacco industries. JLC attorneys have extensive experience in pharmaceutical and medical device litigation, wrongful death, medical malpractice, reproductive rights, sexual assault and abuse, and personal injury cases. Additionally, the firm is dedicated to legislative reform, spearheading efforts to modify statutes of limitations and enact new laws to protect the innocent and to provide proper financial and judicial remedies to victims. Justice Law Collaborative was ranked a 2025 Best Law Firm by Best Lawyers®, and firm partners have been named to Massachusetts Super Lawyer® and Best Lawyers® lists for multiple, consecutive years. More information about the firm and its far-reaching results can be found at: www.justicelawcollaborative.com.
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Downloadable image of Attorney Dougherty can be found here.
Media contact: Wendy Agudelo; wendy@imageprofessors.com
JUNE 25, 2025