Appellate Immigration Judge, Board of Immigration Appeals
Attorney General Pamela Bondi appointed Kathleen K. Volkert as an Appellate Immigration Judge in August 2025. Judge Volkert earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1998 from Arizona State University and a Juris Doctor in 2002 from Albany Law School of Union University. From May 2007 to January 2010, and October 2015 to August 2025, she served as a trial attorney at the Office of Immigration Litigation, Civil Division, Department of Justice. During this time, from January 2025 to August 2025, she served as a senior advisor at the Office of the Associate Attorney General, Department of Justice. From 2003 to 2007, she served on active duty with the U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General’s Corps, both as a legal defense and legal assistance attorney in Pensacola, Florida, and an administrative law attorney in Washington, D.C. Judge Volkert is a member of the New York State Bar, the Connecticut Bar, the Virginia State Bar, and the State Bar of Texas.
Adapted from EOIR’s published biography of this member, read August 8, 2026.