The National Law Journal honored Kim Viti Fiorentino’s impact as General Counsel for the Archdiocese of Washington as a part of its 2018 D.C. Legal Departments of the Year awards, which were announced over the summer. Fiorentino and her team joined other honorees for the award dinner at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington on Nov. 8.

Fiorentino, who also serves as the archdiocese’s Chancellor, said she greatly appreciated the opportunity for her and her team to “have a moment to celebrate all of our work for the Church.”

“At this moment when we are facing so many challenges, to have an organization that highlights the best law organizations in the country” to recognize the work she and her team are doing for the Church “is such a privilege,” said Fiorentino, noting that she thinks it is one of the first times they have recognized a religious organization.

Fiorentino said she is grateful for the people whom she works with, who are “a great team of faith-filled, smart and dedicated attorneys.” She also loves the collaboration involved in working at the archdiocese, she said, including the opportunity to work with other secretariats such as pastoral ministry and communications, as well as other organizations affiliated with the archdiocese, such as Victory Housing and Catholic Charities.

Prior to beginning her role as the main legal advisor to the archdiocese, Fiorentino was a senior partner in the law firm of Shulman, Rogers, Gandal, Pordy & Ecker, specializing in litigation related to guardianship, trusts and estates, property disputes and family matters, including cases involving senior citizens, and people with mental illnesses or disabilities. She also coordinated their pro-bono cases on behalf of the poor and the vulnerable. 

In her current role, she provides counsel to the archbishop on public policy matters, oversees legal affairs, and advises on matters with legal implications for the archdiocese, its parishes, schools, administrative departments, and affiliated ministries. 

In her time at the archdiocese, Fiorentino coordinated with lead counsel Jones Day to settle the archdiocese’s lawsuit challenging the Department of Health and Human Services’ Affordable Care Act mandate that would have forced employers to provide health insurance coverage for some drugs and procedures that are against the teachings of the Church.She also led the effort to challenge Metro’s refusal to run a “Find the Perfect Gift” advertisement during the 2017 Advent season.

When she left private practice in 2016 to start working for the archdiocese, she called her current job as General Counsel and Chancellor “the dream job I never dreamed of.” And although the past year has brought challenges that she also never dreamed of, she still feels the same way.

“I love my work for the Church, especially at this moment, with a lot of the challenging situations we are facing,” she said, adding that she feels blessed to have the opportunity to bring her practice and experience from her law career to the Church, and as a professional lay woman, to bring her voice to the situations the Church is facing.

“I thank God every day for putting me here,” she said.

Fiorentino said people often ask her how she remains so joyful in the midst of such a challenging time, and her answer is simple: the Eucharist. 

“The reality and truth of our faith is the anchor that helps strengthen me through the challenge,” said Fiorentino.

Fiorentino, who is used to being one of the only women in a male dominated field, told the Catholic Standardin 2016 that she has never been a fan of trying to wear all grey to conform to men’s legal attire, and instead prefers to “bring a pop of color into the situation.”

Throughout her career, Fiorentino has been dedicated to mentoring young women, which she said is because she didn’t have a lot of examples in her own life of seeing women in leadership roles. 

“I always wanted to reach out to young women so they could feel comfortable being smart lawyers and good women,” she said.

Now, some of the women whom she mentored early on in their careers are partners at law firms around the country.

“Our culture doesn’t have a lot of models of people who are secularly successful and yet faith is the core of their life and the rhythm of prayer is a part of (their) routine,” said Fiorentino, who regularly attends daily Mass at her parish, Our Lady of Mercy in Potomac. “I think young people respond to that because they don’t have that in our culture.”

Sarah Yaklic, the former director of Digital Media for the Archdiocese of Washington who currently serves as the director of the Grotto Network – a digital media outreach for young adults sponsored by the University of Notre Dame – said this is what made Fiorentino “instantly captivating” when she met her at the archdiocese. She is a living example of how “you can be wildly successful and wildly in love with the Lord” at the same time, Yaklic said.

In addition to helping young women in their careers, Fiorentino has sponsored five people who have entered the Church through RCIA. 

“I think we need to, by example, show how our faith has impacted our lives, in a way that is joyful and accompanies people, [and] points to my relationship with Jesus Christ that forms such a core part of my life,” said Fiorentino.

Yaklic said Fiorentino practices “the Jesus style of accompaniment,” because she is both concerned with the spiritual needs and the human needs of the people whom she is mentoring. 

“She is able to meet people exactly where (they) are and move people closer to Jesus,” she said.

Yaklic previously worked at a law firm, and said she understands the demands of law firms and “what it took for women to rise in power” there.

“I think she was able to do that because of her deep faith,” said Yaklic, who noted how Fiorentino has been known to pray rosaries for the opposing counsel on the way to the courtroom. 

For the women whom she mentors, “She helps us to find that thing that we love and help that gift come to life” through faith, said Yaklic. In particular, she said Fiorentino has helped her learn how to discern big decisions by looking at all of the options and then having the freedom to choose the one that God is calling her to.

“Her way of mentoring helps me to be attentive to how God is working in my life,” she said. “…She wants to walk with people, leading us to this full sense of life…the life that God desires for us.”