Kate Kovarovic has dedicated much of her legal career to veterans law, first from within the Department of Veterans Affairs and now as an advocate for veterans and their families at Hill & Ponton.
Before joining Hill & Ponton, Kate spent more than a decade at the Board of Veterans’ Appeals, where she developed an extensive understanding of the VA claims and appeals process. As Counsel at the Board, Kate served as a subject-matter expert in veterans law, conducted de novo reviews of veterans’ claims, drafted appellate decisions, reviewed decisions for legal and procedural accuracy, and served on an ad hoc basis as an Acting Veterans Law Judge.
Her years at the Board gave Kate a firsthand understanding of both the law governing veterans’ benefits and the complex system veterans must navigate to obtain them. Ultimately, Kate chose to leave VA because she wanted to work directly with the veteran community and advocate for the people behind the claims she had spent years reviewing. She joined Hill & Ponton to bring her knowledge of the VA system to the other side of the process – helping veterans navigate that system, ensuring their stories are heard, and providing the compassionate, individualized representation she believes every veteran deserves.
Kate’s commitment to service extends well beyond her legal practice. Following the fall of Afghanistan in August 2021, she became deeply involved in the evacuation and resettlement of at-risk Afghans through the #AfghanEvac coalition, where she served as Director of Resilience Programming. In that role, Kate developed the Resilience Duty Officer program, which provided around-the-clock mental health support to volunteers, launched virtual support groups, and helped build resources addressing moral injury and the psychological impact of evacuation and humanitarian response.
Her commitment to the Afghan community has continued long after the initial evacuation. Kate now serves on the boards of the Massachusetts Afghan Alliance and Our Culture is Giving, continuing her work in support of Afghan communities and the people who have welcomed and advocated alongside them.
Those experiences continue to shape Kate’s approach to veterans law. She understands that a disability claim is rarely just a collection of medical records and legal arguments. Behind every claim is a person whose military service, health, family, livelihood, and future may all be intertwined with the outcome. Kate strives to pair rigorous legal advocacy with empathy, candor, and an understanding of the experiences that bring veterans and their families to Hill & Ponton.
Before beginning her career in veterans law, Kate practiced family and criminal law in Maryland and Washington, D.C., representing clients in court and counseling them through difficult and often deeply personal legal matters. She also worked with the U.S. Department of Justice’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Human Rights Watch’s Terrorism/Counterterrorism Program.
Kate earned her Juris Doctor from American University Washington College of Law, where she served as Executive Editor of the Criminal Law Brief, Managing Editor and Staff Writer for the Human Rights Brief, and a student attorney in the Criminal Justice Defense Clinic. She also earned a Master of Arts in International Affairs with a concentration in International Security from American University’s School of International Service and a Bachelor of Arts in Public Communication and Law and Society from American University.
Practice Areas
- Veterans Law
Prior Employment
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Board of Veterans’ Appeals, Washington, D.C.
- Joel W. Anders, P.C., Washington, D.C.
- U.S. Department of Justice, Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section, Washington, D.C.
- Human Rights Watch, Terrorism/Counterterrorism Program, Washington, D.C.
Bar Admissions
- District of Columbia
- Maryland
Education
- American University Washington College of Law, J.D.
- American University School of International Service, M.A., International Affairs (International Security)
- American University School of Communication/School of Public Affairs, B.A., Public Communication/Law and Society
Awards
- American Ingenuity Award, 2025
- Finalist, March of Dimes Heroines of Washington Award, 2024
- Unsung Hero Award, Chairperson’s Selection, 2022
- Unsung Hero/Silent Warrior Award, 2022
- Board of Veterans’ Appeals Above and Beyond Award, 2020 and 2021
- Board of Veterans’ Appeals Writing Award, 2018 and 2019
Publications
Kate’s published scholarship has addressed human rights, national security, international criminal law, and counterterrorism. Her publications include:
- Pleading for Justice: The Availability of Plea Bargaining as a Method of Alternative Dispute Resolution at the International Criminal Court, 2011 J. Disp. Resol. 283 (2011)
- The Business of Torture: The Domestic Liability of Private Airlines in the U.S. Extraordinary Rendition Program, 19 Miami Bus. L. Rev. 147 (2011)
- When the Nation Springs a [Wiki]Leak: The “National Security” Attack on Free Speech, 14 Touro Int’l L. Rev. 273 (2011)
- Our “Jack Bauer” Culture: Eliminating the Ticking Time Bomb Exception to Torture, 22 Fla. J. Int’l L. 251 (2010)
