KAREN DESOTO
Karen DeSoto is an accomplished attorney at law, devoted humanitarian, local activist and on-air (TV) legal analyst. A lifelong resident of New Jersey, DeSoto has handed innumerable cases in the areas of criminal defense, civil rights, and employment discrimination.
Ms. DeSoto is an on-air legal analyst and commentator for NBC News who also appears — or has appeared — on The Today Show, MSNBC, Fox News, CNN and others. In her role as a media commentator, DeSoto explains and discusses to viewers fact-specific legal strategies and theories corresponding to national legal news and criminal cases. These include 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, Rutgers University spy case, the Michael Jackson death, Bill Cosby, Robert Durst trial, Aaron Hernandez trial, and the Boston Marathon Bombing.
Before beginning her own practice as a Jersey City lawyer, Karen DeSoto gained invaluable experience serving as a New Jersey county public defender, New Jersey county prosecutor, and as an attorney for a private practice. Apart from her numerous professional accomplishments, Ms. Karen DeSoto continually demonstrates her commitment to the community through her altruistic efforts and support of many charitable foundations and organizations, many of which is she has served as a board member.
Karen was an assistant professor at Fairleigh Dickinson University and currently New Jersey City University, where she is also co-director of the Institute for Conflict Resolution at their business school. She also appears as a guest speaker at many functions, such as spending time and talking with the students at BMCC.
She has been recognized for her contributions and been singled out for her accomplishments with mentions and awards. The City of Bayonne Youth Center recently honored Karen DeSoto with the Humanitarian of the Year award [“in recognition for her priceless charitable contributions”]; been named Attorney of the Year by the Puerto Rican Heritage Festival, and listed in the October 2011 magazine issue of Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education to their list of "People On The Move".