Kara M Karlson

Kara Karlson is an Assistant Attorney General who represents the Arizona Citizens Clean Elections Commission, and other state agencies in election matters at trial and on appeal. Her practice covers a wide variety of election law disputes, including constitutional and Voting Rights Act litigation in federal and state courts, state-law based election challenges, petition challenges for candidates and initiatives, campaign finance complaints, and recount litigation. Additionally, she advises other state agencies and serves as lead litigation counsel for those agencies in high-impact litigation. Before coming to the Attorney General’s office, Kara worked at a boutique law firm in the Phoenix area which focused primarily on bankruptcy litigation and general civil litigation. She is admitted to practice in Arizona state and federal courts as well as the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and the United States Supreme Court. Kara is very involved in the Arizona Women Lawyers Association, serving on the Steering Committee, as a co-chair to the Mother’s Forum, and the Leadership Appointments Committee. She also serves as Chair on the Developmental Disability Advisory Council, providing advice to the Division of Developmental Disabilities on how to provide the best services for approximately 46,000 Arizonans with developmental disabilities. Prior to becoming a lawyer, she worked on staff for political committees in the 2004 and 2006 election cycles. Kara is an Arizona Pioneer Descendant, with family roots in Arizona that stretch back to 1900. She married her junior high sweetheart, and they are blessed with two wonderful daughters.