Katie Stoughton focuses her practice on complex litigation, appellate matters, and government investigations. Prior to joining Wyche, she served as Chief of the Appellate, Asset Forfeiture, and Financial Litigation Division at the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina, where she prosecuted a wide range of federal criminal cases in both the district court and the court of appeals. In that role, Katie coordinated appellate strategy across the District, oversaw all appellate briefing and oral argument preparation, and led asset forfeiture and restitution litigation. She also developed litigation guidance in response to Supreme Court and Fourth Circuit precedent and conducted district-wide training on significant legal developments.

Before becoming Division Chief, Katie served as Deputy Chief and as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Appellate Division. She is a member of the Department of Justice Appellate Chiefs Working Group, advising DOJ leadership on proposed policy, rule, and legislative changes affecting U.S. Attorneys’ Offices nationwide. Earlier in her career, Katie served as Counsel to Senator Lindsey O. Graham on the Senate Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism, where she advised on constitutional law, immigration, federal criminal law, and the confirmation of Supreme Court justices, federal judges, and Department of Justice officials. She also assisted the Office of Legal Policy during the confirmation process of Justice Amy Coney Barrett.

Katie began her legal career clerking for judges on both the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit and the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina. She earned her J.D., with honors, from The George Washington University Law School, where she was a George Washington Scholar and served as Senior Projects Editor of The George Washington Law Review. She received her B.S. in Chemistry and History, magna cum laude, from the University of South Carolina Honors College.