When someone walks into Boleman Law Firm, P.C. for the first time, they often feel scared, overwhelmed, and unsure of what comes next. Meeting the right person can make all the difference. That’s where Kathryne M. Shaw comes in.
Kathryne serves as a Shareholder & Chief Litigator at our firm. She spends her days in courtrooms across the Eastern District of Virginia, helping people in financial crisis find a practical path forward. In her own words, she once joked that at 17 her mom told her, “you like to argue, you should go be a lawyer.” That simple comment set her on a path that led from Texas to Virginia, from a political science degree to a law career focused on helping real people through some of life’s hardest financial moments.
You can hear that story in her own voice in the video below.
From Texas Roots To A Virginia Courtroom
Kathryne grew up in Texas and earned her Bachelor of Science in Political Science, magna cum laude, from Texas A&M University in 2012. After college, she moved to Virginia Beach to attend Regent University School of Law. Looking back, she calls that move “probably the best decision I ever made.”
Law school did more than prepare her for a career. She explains that Regent was “the perfect fit” where she found great people, made some of her closest friends, and “came out of my shell.” It gave her a place where she could “strive intellectually” and lean into the kind of work that challenged her to think deeply and advocate strongly.
While at Regent, she served as a senior staff editor on Regent Law Review and a student representative on the Student Bar Association. She also gained hands-on experience through a semester at the Suffolk Commonwealth Attorney’s Office and an internship with a local general practice firm that handled divorce and bankruptcy matters. Those real-world roles helped her test different paths and figure out where she fit best.
The Winding Path That Led To Bankruptcy Law
In the video, Kathryne shares how she first thought, “I’ll be a prosecutor. That’s arguing.” After finishing her time with the Commonwealth Attorney’s Office, she realized that to understand that side of the courtroom, she also needed to learn criminal defense. That curiosity led to her internship with the general practitioner who exposed her to bankruptcy work.
As she tells it, while she studied for the bar exam, that attorney called and said, “come interview.” The firm hired her right after she took the bar. About two months later, Boleman Law Firm, P.C. acquired that firm’s bankruptcy practice. That is how she joined our team, and she has stayed with us since her admittance to the bar in 2015.
She describes that transition simply: “I’ve been here ever since, and it was absolutely the right spot for me.” For our clients, that means they meet someone who has spent her entire legal career focused on bankruptcy in Virginia’s courts.
Why Bankruptcy Work Clicks For Her
In the video, one line captures how she thinks about her work: “Bankruptcy just makes sense. It’s logical, but also free flowing because life’s never static.” She sees bankruptcy law as a structured system that still leaves room to respond to the real twists and turns of life.
Her days rarely look the same. She talks about how she might spend one hour drafting a motion, the next answering client emails, then jumping on phone calls, and then heading to court. “Yesterday I was in court. Tomorrow I’ll be in court conducting hearings. So it’s not monotonous, and that’s what makes it just enjoyable.”
That love of variety fits her role as Chief Litigator. She appears regularly in bankruptcy court on a wide range of matters in the Norfolk, Newport News, & Richmond Divisions of the Eastern District of Virginia. Her practice focuses on complex post-petition bankruptcy matters & litigation, which means she often steps in when cases become complicated or contested.
Seeing The Fear & Finding A Path
What stands out most when you listen to Kathryne is how clearly she understands the fear our clients feel. She does not speak in abstract terms. Instead, she names the very real questions that keep people up at night:
- Worry about home: “What are you going to do if you lose your house?”
- Worry about stability: “Where are you going to live?”
- Worry about family: “How are you going to feed your children?”
She sums it up in a way that reflects our entire firm’s approach: “Life is scary. Financial turmoil is a scary thing… Our job is to help people put that fear aside and give them a path.”
At Boleman Law Firm, P.C., we believe that people deserve straight answers, a clear plan, and someone in their corner. When Kathryne talks about how “there’s always something new, and there’s always a path that we can find to help a client,” she speaks to that belief directly.
Leadership In The Tidewater Bankruptcy Community
Beyond her daily work with our clients, Kathryne stays involved in the broader bankruptcy community. She belongs to the Tidewater Bankruptcy Bar Association & has taken on several leadership roles there over the years. Her service includes work on the Seminar Planning Committee, time as a board member & Seminar Chairperson, and several years as Board Member & Treasurer. She now serves as the association’s President.
She also belongs to Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity, International, and shares her knowledge through speaking & writing. Her presentations & publications cover issues like Chapter 13 plan confirmation, technology & ethics, fraudulent conveyances, divorce & bankruptcy, and post-confirmation loan modification issues. These roles reflect the same trait you see in her video: she leans into complex problems and looks for practical solutions that help people reach a discharge & a fresh start.
A Life Beyond The Courtroom
Getting to know a lawyer should not stop with their résumé. In her bio, Kathryne shares a few details that paint a fuller picture. In her free time, she enjoys home renovation projects, sings in her church’s praise band, and spends time with her family in the mountains.
Those details line up with the person you see on screen: creative, engaged, and grounded. Someone who can focus on complex legal issues all day, then go home, pick up a paintbrush or a song, and stay connected to the people she loves.
How Kathryne Fits Into Your Story
When you come to Boleman Law Firm, P.C., you meet a team that has handled more than 140,000 consumer bankruptcy matters across Virginia. You do not just meet a name on a door. You meet people like Kathryne, who have chosen to build their careers here and who understand how high the stakes feel when you face foreclosure notices, garnishments, or mounting bills.
She practices primarily in our Tidewater offices and appears often in the Norfolk, Newport News, & Richmond bankruptcy courts. If your case involves complex issues after filing, or you need someone to stand up for you in a contested matter, there is a good chance she may play a role in your case.
By the time you finish watching her video, we want you to feel like you already know her voice and her approach: clear, direct, and focused on finding a path when life feels anything but stable.
Watch The Video & Take Your Next Step
If you saw yourself in any of the worries she names—questions about your home, your family, or how you will keep going—reach out. At Boleman Law Firm, P.C., we offer a free, no-risk consultation with an experienced bankruptcy lawyer so you can understand your options before you make a decision.
Start by watching Kathryne’s video above. Then, when you feel ready, call (804) 358-9900. The path forward may feel hard to see right now, but as Kathryne says, there is always a path we can work to find together.
