“I had joked that if I weren’t going to go into radio — which seemed more realistic back then because I was the program director of our college’s commercially independent radio station — that at some point, I would go to law school.” Despite the jokes, Distinguished Recent Alumni Award recipient Kendra Kosko Isaacson ’06 knew that radio never really was the career path for her. Now, having spent the last 15 years working in tax and benefits law, Isaacson feels she is right where she is meant to be.

Having attended Dartmouth College where she majored in Government (with concentrations in American Politics and Political Theory, English Literature, and Studio Art), Isaacson knew early on that she wanted to work on the Hill. Unfortunately, with student loans, she also knew she would need to take a few steps to get there. “I didn’t end up on the Hill right out of college because, I graduated with a lot of student loans — long before the issue became part of the national conversation. I ended up working at a lobbying firm — a tax lobbying firm — where my interest in tax was first piqued.” It was while working with the lobbying firm that Isaacson also decided the time was right to pursue her J.D. “I really enjoyed what I did. I liked what I saw my bosses doing. And I decided I wanted to go to law school at night and stay in the D.C. area.”

Catholic Law, Isaacson quickly found, was the perfect fit for her. With small class sizes, robust course offerings, and the opportunity to attend as an evening student, Catholic checked all the boxes for her. There was a lot for Isaacson to balance between work during the day and school at night, but she enjoyed the challenge — finding herself better able to manage her time the more she took on. Isaacson was also committed to having a full law school experience. In addition to her work and class obligations, Isaacson was an articles editor for the CommLaw Conspectus: Journal of Communications Law and Technology Policy (now the Catholic University Journal of Law and Technology) and was an active member of the Evening Law Students Association (ELSA).

But perhaps the most meaningful extra-curricular activity for Isaacson was serving as Professor Regina Jefferson’s research assistant. “I worked with Professor Jefferson when she was working on a chapter for a book. Professor Jefferson is pretty much the reason I do what I do today, so I owe her a huge debt of gratitude.” Over the course of her career, Isaacson has come to realize just how well-known Catholic Law is in the benefits world. “I attribute that to Professor Jefferson. I think she has done an amazing job with her [Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA)] class.” Isaacson continued, “There are so many notable Catholic Law alumni in the benefits field. That is not something I had expected, and I don’t think I fully appreciated it until after graduation. I am fortunate to have so many great mentors and colleagues from Catholic.”

Isaacson was committed to specializing in tax law and took every tax law class that the Law School had to offer — including Professor Jefferson’s course on ERISA tax policy — but in the early aughts, job recruitment for evening students was difficult to navigate. “When I went through the recruiting process my third year, I had a fair number of interviews, but the firms really didn’t understand the evening student model. They just kept saying, ‘you need legal experience.’”

Spurred on by their feedback, Isaacson quit her job at Executive Compensation Resources and got an internship at the Superior Court of the District of Columbia as well as a part-time job as a clerk at a civil litigation firm in Arlington, Virginia. “Ultimately, I think it was a good thing that they rejected me because it drove me.” When it came time to apply for jobs the following year, Isaacson was ready. She interviewed with Slevin & Hart, which was impressed by her background in ERISA, and was able to begin work there the winter before graduation. “I hit the ground running at a great firm and got a ton of exposure to so many facets of the benefits world working on retirement, pension plans, health, and welfare plans.”

Following her time at Slevin & Hart, Isaacson has held positions at Venable, the Department of Labor, and the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, and in 2015, she became Senior Pensions Counsel for the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions where she advises the committee chair, Senator Patty Murray (D-Washington). In her day-to-day, Isaacson works on retirement, ERISA, Social Security, and tax policy for Senator Murray — focusing each day on trying to make peoples’ lives better. “There are probably a lot of people who have preconceived notions about what it’s like to work on the Hill, but I think the most rewarding part of the work that I do is really being able to help people.”

Over the last year, as the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the world, the Committee was able to pass a bill that provides financial stability to retirees by restoring pension benefits they had lost or were in jeopardy of losing. “To some, retirement is difficult to grasp — it’s a remote concept and people have a hard time envisioning what it looks like for them — but small things we do now will have a huge impact on the future. I really enjoy the work of making improvements to our retirement system to ensure people can enjoy their golden years in a financially secure and dignified way.”

With that rewarding feeling also comes the demanding schedule working on the Hill is known for. Isaacson noted the importance of a supportive work environment. “I am really fortunate I work for a member of Congress who practices what she preaches. Senator Murray is amazing. It is a true joy working for someone who is implementing the same policies in her office that she thinks are right for our country.”

When asked if she had any advice to share with the next generation of lawyers and law students, she pointed to the advice she shares with students as an Adjunct Professor at Georgetown Law, “Find what makes you happy and be open to new experiences. I went into law school knowing that I wanted to do tax, but I tried a variety of classes, and I found my specialty. Be open to trying things that are interesting to you, even if you aren’t exactly sure where it is going to take you.” She continued, “I also try to tell people not to sweat the small stuff. Nothing will be closed off to you if you end up going a particular way. These choices are not now or never. Not to say that it is easy to pivot, but if it is something that you really want to do, then you put in the work and you make it happen.”