Attorney Kates was first drawn to criminal law as a reporter who was covering criminal cases for a small-town newspaper. After graduating from Northeastern University School of Law in 2014, she was a freelance legal researcher and writer until she started accepting criminal appeals in 2016. Attorney Kates represented clients in the Dorchester Division of the Boston Municipal Court from 2016 until 2022.

In mid-2022, Attorney Kates moved her practice to Ithaca, NY. She represents criminal clients on misdemeanors and felonies in Tompkins County. 

Attorney Kates is admitted to practice in Massachusetts and New York. ​