Katherine Tarpley is a career legal services attorney. She currently serves as the Managing Attorney of the KIDSLegal Unit at Pine Tree Legal Assistance. KIDSLegal provides advice, technical assistance and direct representation to low-income Mainers across the state in school-related matters such as special education advocacy, bullying and school discipline. Prior to coming home to Maine, she led the Children's Law Center of Massachusetts’ medical-legal partnership with the MGB Chelsea Health Center to advocate for at-risk children in educational matters. A native Spanish speaker, Katherine focused her systemic advocacy efforts on collaborative communication and language access in school for families whose home language is not English.

Prior to joining CLCM, Katherine worked at the Children’s Disability Project at Greater Boston Legal Services where she represented children who had been wrongfully denied Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits. She has also served as an Assistant General Counsel at the MA Department of Early Education and Care, and worked as a staff attorney in the General Counsel’s office at Northeastern University. Katherine received her B.A. from Boston University and her J.D. from Northeastern University School of Law.