WRITER RESUME

CATHERINE STUCKART, J.D.

Telephone: (360) 433-7155

Email: copybycathy@gmail.com

EDUCATION

1980 Juris Doctor (J.D.), Georgetown Law, Washington, D.C. Third year spent at Cornell Law School, Ithaca, New York. One of eight selected from two hundred Georgetown Law students in writing competition for the law journal, “Law & Policy in International Business.” Wrote published articles on the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and the International Coffee Agreement. While at Cornell, took M.B.A. course in Marketing.

1972 Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), Binghamton University, Binghamton, New York.
Major: Social Sciences. Specializations: Anthropology and Linguistics. Grade Point Average: 3.74/4.0. Graduated Magna Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa, in three years. Straight A average in all English courses, including Creative Writing.

WRITING EXPERIENCE

Copy By Cathy Freelance Writing-Have written and edited a wide variety of work over the years, including website content writing, white paper writing, preparing articles on major law firm news for an online intellectual property journal, and coverage of a murder trial for a local newspaper.  Also wrote “Attorney Tip” monthly, for “The Fathers’ Rights Movement Magazine.”  Current focus is online copywriting in legal niche.

1984-1985 Technical Writer, CAE Industries, Inc., Kirkwood, New York. As job-shopper for simulator company, edited computer software documentation, written by engineers, for internal consistency and conformance with accepted standards of English. Offered permanent position.

1973-1974 Writer-Editor, Public Information Section, DEA Headquarters-Wrote and edited “iDEAs,” DEA’s newsletter for 4,000 employees.  Did research, writing and editing of DEA’s international magazine, “Drug Enforcement.” Participated in development of DEA’s official guide to controlled substances. Took “Magazine Layout and Design” course from Picture Editor of the “National Geographic” magazine. In 1975, received DEA Outstanding Federal Service Award.

LEGAL EXPERIENCE

Sole Practitioner, Binghamton, New York

• Primarily did Family Law appeals in Upstate New York. Prior work includes New York State and federal civil and criminal appeals ranging from family law to international treaties. Practiced in Broome County Family Court for three years. Criminal law appeals include work for four prosecutors as well as for defendants convicted of crimes ranging from drug trafficking to murder.
• Appeals involve substantial legal research and writing, and, often, an oral argument before a panel of appellate court justices.  Effective legal writing requires clear, concise and persuasive skills in communicating with clients as well as with other attorneys and judges.
• First Federal appeal in 1991 was featured on front page of New York’s leading legal newspaper, “The New York Law Journal” for unanimous decision by nine Justices of the Second Circuit Court of Appeals, in favor of my plaintiff-client, a minority student. Opposed by New York State’s Attorney General’s best appellate lawyer. A New York State appeal in 2017 was also on the front page of the “New York Law Journal” for another unanimous win in a state civil case.  Opposed by the leading law firm of Coughlin & Gerhardt.
• Practiced for three years in Broome County Family Court on a variety of trial-level cases involving custody and Social Service matters.
• Have designed and implemented marketing campaigns to obtain referrals from other attorneys, as well as writing and designing websites to attract clients. Worked throughout New York State.

INTERESTS

Public speaking-trained in award- winning Toastmasters Club. Have given speeches before groups on various topics and in webinars, primarily law-related. 

PUBLICATIONS

“Should You Use a Free Criminal Lawyer?”-e-report published on Amazon..
Published poet in print and online, with nearly 100,000 reads globally.