Catherine Armitage Berchou

Catherine Armitage Berchou brings to the firm over 30 years of legal experience in various practice areas.   For over 20 years now, her practice has focused exclusively on criminal defense of  juveniles and adults with severe cognitive and behavioral health disabilities.  Her practice  has engaged psychologists and psychiatrists, mental health , addiction and trauma counselors, as well as peer and child advocates in a multi-disciplinary, evidence-based and individualized criminal defense resulting in optimal outcomes including acquittals, non-criminal dispositions, judicial diversion and  community supervision.

She is a graduate of the University at Buffalo School of Law where she served as  a law clerk intern for  the Honorable John T. Curtin,  Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of New York, she had the distinguished honor of writing an article which was published in the Buffalo Law Review, she was  a research assistant to UB Law’s Baldy Center for Law and Social Policy,  a research assistant for two law professors and a student assistant to the Dean of Admissions, traveling throughout the United States to promote UB Law at educational conferences and recruitment fairs.   Cate is also a graduate of  the State University of New York College at Buffalo where she studied English Literature and Philosophy, and was the Editor-In-Chief of PORTRAIT, the college’s art and literary magazine.  She attended High School at the Buffalo Academy of the Sacred Heart.

Prior to private practice, Cate  was devoted to representing public interests.  She was associated with the City of Buffalo Urban Renewal Agency, promoted to General Counsel for Buffalo Neighborhood Revitalization Corporation, Assistant Corporation Counsel for the City of Buffalo and then General Counsel for Buffalo Enterprise Development Corporation.  Transitioning to criminal practice, she then served as an Assistant District Attorney, conducting jury and bench trials, motions and pleas in cases prosecuted in courts throughout Erie County.  

Cate has also served on the Board of Directors of the Western New York Law Center, the Town of Clarence Board of Ethics, the Western New York Association for the Developmentally Disabled and the Allentown Association.

She is admitted to practice in the US District Court for the Western District of New York and the courts throughout New York State.