3 Ways That Karen Desoto Keeps Giving Back

 

Karen DeSoto is a career attorney who has also been an on-air legal analyst for 15 years, has been a guest speaker, and an equal right activist. The Hudson Reporter had previously named her one of the Top 50 Most Influential People in Hudson County because of her efforts and the coalitions she built. And now -- as she continues to appear on air as a legal analyst for NBC News, her attention has been focused on her role as co-director of the Institute for Dispute resolution at New Jersey City University.

1. She Is Making A Difference

Karen DeSoto along with David Weiss co founded the Institute for Dispute Resolution at the New Jersey City University school for business. And through the IDR applied research department they contributed to what became the New Jersey International Arbitration, Mediation, and Conciliation Act (legislation signed Feb 7, 2017). 

2. She Has Long Been A Mentor

Whether it was being the youngest attorney, first woman and first Hispanic to ever serve as Corporate Counsel for the city of Jersey City, serving as a Board Member of various organizations, being a guest speaker at local colleges, or coaching students for international competitions in mediation through IDR, she exudes confidence and a  strong work ethic for young women to admire.

3. She Is An Educator

For over a decade Karen DeSoto has appeared on air as a legal analyst to provide legal insights -- to television audiences regarding high profile cases in the news.

3 Tips For Choosing A Workplace Discrimination Attorney

Choosing a workplace discrimination lawyer who can help you solve that ugly work-related dispute can be a tough task. So, how do you do that? Here are a few tips to find the right person who can help you get through the turbulent phase without much difficulty.

Tip# 1: Do Your Research

Karen Desoto

To begin right, take a look at the credentials of your preferred attorney. Search the web and find information about their education, their activities and involvement in the legal industry – as well as their knowledge on the type of situation you are facing. You wouldn’t choose a lawyer whose career has been real estate contract litigation, regardless of how successful they may be in that industry. Look for those that have experience and credentials in workplace discrimination cases. 

For example, New jersey based Karen DeSoto reveals a lot about her background working in the practice areas of workplace discrimination, and she was listed as one of the top 50 most influential people in Hudson county. She has a Juris Doctorate and Master in Law and Trial Advocacy. These are the type of credentials you want to look for. Review them online, check their websites for news about their activities. This will not only help you get a sense of their work, but will also help you figure out if they can be the one to help your case.

Tip# 2: Check Their Experience

Once you have found a bit of information about them, the next step is to check their experience in the cases related to your scenario. How long have they been working in that area of practice, and what is their win rate in court? Find out if they have ever represented people who have been in circumstances that are similar to yours. Like any other service provider, you have to assess how good they are, whether they are a good fit for what you need, and then talk about service rates. Do they work on retainer, on contingency – meaning they only get paid if you win your case, as Bangel Cohen and Falconetti do -- , or, do they do pro bono work, meaning they represent you for free. If they don’t really have the experience and knowledge in workplace discrimination cases, then don’t settle, keep looking for the right attorney. 

Tip# 3: Have A Meeting

Once you find someone who meets your criteria schedule an appointment so you can meet them face to face. Personality compatibility matters. You need to feel comfortable enough to trust their advice and have confidence in their strategy. 

Karen Desoto – A Humanitarian, An Advocate Or Much More?

Karen DeSoto, the name that has left an impression on many minds, is definitely worth knowing and remembering. A woman with a heart of gold and who is a tower of strength, Karen Desoto started off her journey as a law enthusiast and has come a long way by touching millions of lives with her good work and appreciable efforts to bring a change to the society.

One Person – Many Sides

A brilliant child, thorough out her education, she knew that she wanted to make it big in the legal field, and so, Karen received a Juris Doctorate and then Masters of Law Degree in Trial Advocacy. Then began her career as a public defender. Later, she served as a prosecutor (Hunterdon County, NJ), and as a lawyer in private practice after which she founded the Center For Justice based in Jersey City, NJ.

Over the years, Karen Desoto proved her mettle in the legal world by voicing her opinions on civil rights, workplace discrimination rights, election and criminal law. Understanding the active role that she has been playing in serving the community as well as the legal field, she has been awarded a number of times by renowned authorities across the country.

She was selected as the Attorney of the Year at the 50th Annual Puerto Rican Heritage Festival and Parade in 2010, and Humanitarian of the year by the City of Bayonne Youth Center. She is also an on-air legal analyst for NBC News, and has made insightful appearances on Court TV, CNN Headline News, Fox News, ABC News, MSNBC, and the rest.

Why Grit And Gumption Best Define Karen Desoto

A lawyer turned university professor and prime time legal analyst; Karen Desoto is unlike any other woman. Nonetheless, she stands as the perfect example for scores of women nationwide. The true embodiment of grit and gumption, this woman has the best interests of the society at heart. This blog is a short saga of unwavering gumption.


1. Despite a fine education from Beasley School of Law and after securing her Juris Doctorate; the lady who is a Master of Law in Trial Advocacy chose not to take the highly profitable route. She began a job as a public defender years before venturing in to the private sector.

2. Rather than choosing to take on high profile cases, she ensured that her firm -The Center for Legal Justice concentrated on civil rights suits. She also fought against employment discrimination which shows great grit.

3.  During her tenure as Corporate Counsel for Jersey City, she ran a massive office and counseled 9 city departments. 

4.  A knowledgeable attorney, she always took time to work on Pro Bono cases wishing to give back to the community.

5.  Her work took her to eventual recognition and she has since been a board member for numerous non-profit groups. These include Head Start of Jersey City as well as the Ray of Hope Foundation among others.

Considering all these facts, it is difficult to imagine that someone could have achieved so much in the span of a few short decades. Indeed, women like Karen Desoto are the future of the country.

Karen Desoto – On Air Legal Analyst and Attorney

Analysing the legal world is not so easy. There are experts who have sharp insight and detailed knowledge about the law and order of the land, and then there are experts who have the best legal minds in the industry, but are unable to explain things to the layman in a simple and easy to understand language.

So, how to strike the right balance? How to speak well while providing the right insights to the audience? Well, this is something inborn and only a natural orator with legal skills can do this. One such attorney and on air legal analyst who is known for handling high-profile cases and providing sharp insights about the legal world is Karen DeSoto.

Popular Appearances

Karen has made several popular appearances as an on-air legal analyst and commentator for NBC News, The Today Show, MSNBC, Fox News, CNN and many others.

Over the years, she has analyzed trials and legal proceedings involving many renowned names of the country. Some of these include:

• the Oscar Pistorius trial,
• the Rachel Canning case,
• the American hikers being held on espionage charges in Iran,
• the Rutgers University spy case,
• the Robert Durst trial,
• the Boston Marathon Bombing, and the rest

One of the significant appearances that Karen made on MSNBC was when she featured along with Craig Melvin and attorney Seema Iyer to discuss the Jodi Arias trial and the Michael Jackson death case. Armed with significant investigative experience, Karen made some great points in the discussion, making it easier for the audience to grasp the nitty-gritties involved in these cases.

Needless to mention, analyzing legal cases needs experience and knowledge, and those who have it, can certainly make the right use of their skills on air.

Karen Desoto Discusses The Michelle Carter & Conrad Roy Case

If friendship is about helping your friend in times of need, then what would you call a relationship wherein a friend encourages another to kill himself?

As strange as it may seem to be, this is a real life incident wherein a suicide victim’s friend faces charges of involuntary manslaughter.

Michelle Carter, 18, has been accused of urging Conrad Roy III, 18, to commit suicide inside his truck.

Discussing a one-of-its-kind case, Karen DeSoto, an on-air legal analyst and attorney, joined Alex Witt on MSNBC and provided some insights on the incident that took place in July 2014.

Allegedly, depicting a strange behaviour Michelle Carter exchanged over 1,000 text messages with Roy, advising him to kill himself inside his truck, which eventually resulted in his death due to carbon monoxide poisoning.

Karen described the case as ‘unusual’ and said that it is difficult to separate the emotional aspect from the ethical and moral issues in such types of cases. According to Karen, involuntary manslaughter is defined as ‘reckless disregard for human life’. 

So, the grey area in the case is whether Carter knew that her words are going to cause her friend’s death, as use of words to kill someone is certainly unusual. Besides this, can this act of Carter be termed as involuntary manslaughter? This is something extremely important to be figured out!

Karen stresses on the fact that Carter had a lawful obligation to talk with Roy and calm him down or contact his parents, instead of urging him to get back in the truck.

Karen Desoto – A Former Public Defender Who Has Built A Multi-Tier Career

Karen learned the law through her varied legal experience. She began her career like many lawyers, serving as a public defender. She moved on to serve as a prosecutor, served in private practice, until being appointed Corporate Counsel for the city of Jersey City, New Jersey by its then mayor Glenn D. Cunningham. Ms. Desoto was the youngest person, first Hispanic and first woman to ever hold that post.

A Glimpse Of Desoto’s Successful Career – Glorious Past, Bright Future

Karen DeSoto, is a popular NBC News on-air legal analyst that remains active in her community -- on issues concerning equal rights, workplace discrimination, and children issues. In 2014 she also accepted an invitation to join the political science department at New Jersey City University (NJCU) as a Professor. And additionally, she is co-director of the NJCU School of Business Institute for Dispute resolution.

Ms. DeSoto gives back as time permits, often as a public speaker at various events, including youth functions.

As on-air legal analyst on NBC News, she also appears on various shows on MSNBC, the Today Show, and from time to time on other networks, such as ABC News, CNN Headline News, and FOX. She provides legal insights into high-profile cases and trials in the news. These have included the Oscar Pistorius trial, Rachel Canning (a teenage student that filed a lawsuit against her parents), the American hikers being held on espionage charges in Iran, Douglas Kennedy, John Edwards, th Rutgers University spy-cam case, the Murray Conrad trial regarding the death of Michael Jackson, Bill Cosby, Robert Durst trial, Aaron Hernadez trial, and the Boston Marathon Bombing.

You can follow Karen Desoto on her website karendesoto.com, Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, or Linkedin