Research interests are courts and judicial officers, dispute resolution, feminist legal theory, legal education, and evidence and criminal procedure. Publications include a monograph on court-connected alternative dispute resolution as well as articles on gender bias and the judiciary, legal education, and feminist perspectives on evidence and proof. She has written a book and articles (co-authored with Professor Sharyn Roach Anleu) examining discussions and agreements leading to guilty pleas.

Since 2001, Kathy has been engaged in a national research project examining the changing role of the magistrates courts and a national socio-legal study of the Australian judiciary , in collaboration with Professor Sharyn Roach Anleu. This research has been funded by an ARC Linkage Project Grant, with all magistrates courts and the Association of Australian Magistrates as industry partners, two ARC Discovery Grants and another ARC Linkage Project grant with the Magistrates Courts of South Australia, the Northern Territory and Victoria and the Australasian Institute of Judicial Administration as collaborating organisations.