When
people give selflessly to their community they often do so without seeking
acknowledgements for it. At the same time they are often singled out for their
contributions, as Karen DeSoto has been over the years. I have interviewed her
on several occasions about the Institute for Dispute Resolution (she is
co-founder and co-director) and her passions were always obvious -- equal
rights, fairness in the workplace, humanitarian support, and education.
As
a lifelong resident of New Jersey it is not surprising that that is where her
efforts were mostly targeted.
In
her early career she focused on her legal career, having earned a Juris
Doctorate and Masters in Law for Trial Advocacy. She served as a public
defender as many law graduates do, early on. Then, she gained experience on the
other side of the law -- as a prosecutor.
By
2001 she was the first women (also the first Hispanic, and the youngest person)
to be appointed Chief Counsel for the city of Jersey City.
Busy
bees tend to stay busy. And she did. All the while that she was appearing on
television as an on-air legal analyst for a variety of news and magazine
channels [such as ABC News, CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, and NBC News) she was also
buzzing about her neighborhood.
She
was a guest speaker imparting knowledge to students at local colleges, and
contributing time and energy at local organizations. The Bayonne Youth
Community Center named her Humanitarian of the Year for her efforts on their
behalf. She worked with the Ray of Hope Foundation, Head Start, and many
others.
Despite
her work with local community groups, she couldn’t ignore the law either, and
she continued to be active in building coalitions in a push for equal rights,
civil rights and workplace fairness. For those efforts The Hudson Reporter named
Karen to their Top 50 Most
Influential People list, calling her “a force to be
reckoned with.”
Her
work gained the attention of the NCAAP too, and they honored her alongside
Senator Sandra Cunningham and four others.
At
the 50th Annual Puerto Rican Heritage Festival and Parade in 2010
she named Attorney of the Year.
Currently
Karen is immersed in her dedication to the Institute for Dispute Resolution,
working with the applied research department to affect change in New Jersey
policy, as well as giving her time to coach and mentor young students -- while
also accompanying them on sponsored international
competitions and events.