About Kristin
Kristin Paulding built a steady legal path through public service and court work. She studied political science at Michigan State University in 2000 before earning a B.A. in Political Science from the State University of New York at Buffalo in 2004. She remained at Buffalo Law and received her J.D. in 2007. Those years of study set the stage for immediate entry into Virginia’s legal community.
She began her career in 2007 as an Assistant Commonwealth Lawyer in the Virginia Beach Commonwealth Lawyer’s Office. That early prosecutorial role placed her regularly in trial settings and exposed her to the pace and demands of local criminal dockets. She joined the Virginia State Bar the same year and has maintained active membership since. Local bar involvement followed quickly; she has been part of the Virginia Beach Bar Association since 2007.
Paulding expanded her courtroom credentials in 2015 when she obtained two certifications from the Virginia Supreme Court: Guardian ad Litem and Criminal Lawyer for Indigent Defendants. The certifications reflect distinct responsibilities. As a certified guardian ad litem she accepts appointments to represent the interests of children in family court matters. As a certified criminal lawyer for indigent defendants she takes court-appointed criminal cases for defendants who cannot afford private counsel. Also in 2015 she secured membership in the Eastern District of Virginia, permitting appearances in federal court in that jurisdiction.
Those formal qualifications sit alongside practical courtroom experience. Her record shows work on both sides of criminal cases: the state’s representation early on and later court-appointed defense and guardianship assignments. That range gives her familiarity with trial procedure, evidentiary practice and the logistics of working with vulnerable clients and appointed cases. Colleagues and judges see a practitioner who understands the calendar pressures and the procedural steps that move cases to resolution.
Paulding now practices at 7 Cities Law. Her current practice concentrates on matters that reflect her certifications and background, including criminal cases handled under court appointment and guardianship assignments in family courts.
