The Humanitarian side of Karen DeSoto

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 50^th 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.