Bayan kammala karatunta daga Jami'ar Kentucky, Collins ta yi aiki a matsayin malamin makaranta yayin da mijinta ya kammala digiri a fannin likitan hakora. Ta zama mai sha'awar siyasa, kuma ta yi aiki a kan yakin neman zaben gwamna na Wendell Ford a 1971 da Walter "Dee" Huddleston na Majalisar Dattijan Amurka a shekarar 1972. A shekarar 1975, an zabe shi sakataren jam'iyyar Democrat na jihar kuma an zabe shi sakataren Kotun Kotu ta Kentucky. A lokacin da yake aiki a matsayin sakatare, gyaran tsarin mulki ya sake tsarin tsarin shari'ar jihar, kuma Kotun Kotu ta zama Kotun Koli ta Kentucky. Collins ya ci gaba da zama sakataren kotun kuma ya yi aiki don ilimantar da 'yan kasa game da sabon rawar da kotun ta taka. Tambaya: Wane doka ne Collins ya yi aiki?
sakataren jam'iyyar Democrat na jihar kuma an zabe shi a matsayin sakataren Kotun Kentucky na Kotu