KATHERINE J. HARTUNG • Disability Benefits Attorney
Contact Information
katherine@jandils.com
1.877.Veteran (877.838.3726)
Professional Background
Education: Shepherd University (B.A., 2004); West Virginia University College of Law (J.D., 2008)
Member: West Virginia Bar Association; Generation Charleston
Profile
At age 7, Katherine Hartung discovered she could use her singing voice to entertain people. In college, however, she realized that what she really wanted was to be a voice for justice.
A Bridgeport native, Katherine became a classically trained opera singer at Shepherd University, where she was a Joseph McMurran Scholar and graduated in the top 1 percent in her class. Instead of pursuing the stage, however, she pursued law school, sending her on a path that led her to representing Social Security disability claimants at the Jan Dils Law Firm.
“By singing, I knew I could affect people by providing an escape, but I also knew that I wanted to do something to make the world a better place,” Hartung says. “I wanted to dedicate my career to helping people, and that’s what we do here. Many of our clients are shut-ins, or they’ve been neglected their whole lives. It’s important for them to have a lawyer who’s going to stand up for them.”
After earning her degree from the West Virginia University School of Law, Katherine clerked at the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals’ workers’ compensation division. She then practiced toxic torts litigation at a private law firm, representing factory workers who had developed diseases from their exposure to harmful chemicals.
“I’ve always been very active when it comes to defending the rights of working-class people,” says Katherine, who helped to establish Students Organized and United for Labor while in law school.
Her legal background has helped Katherine develop outstanding legal research and writing skills. But what she enjoys the most is meeting one-on-one with clients at intake assessments and while preparing them for hearings. She’s found that she can have a reassuring tone.
“Sometimes, clients need to hear you say, ‘I believe in your case. I believe in you,’” she says. “The power of positive thinking can make a huge difference in a case, and it can make a huge difference in our clients’ lives.”
Although she’s dedicated herself to her legal career, Katherine’s coloratura soprano voice can still be heard occasionally at area music clubs.
“But I’ve moved on,” she says, “from opera to rock.”
