Karen Clark

P.C.

Adams & Clark

Karen graduated magna cum laude from the Honors College at Arizona State University in 1986, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science.  Karen attended law school at the University of Arizona, where she was on the dean’s list.  During her final year, she served as an intern to the United States Senate Judiciary Committee in Washington, D.C.  Karen was admitted to the State Bar of Arizona in 1989.  She clerked for a judge on the Arizona Court of Appeals, and then joined the Attorney General’s Office as a civil prosecutor.  After four years at the AG’s, Karen worked on the campaign staff of a candidate for governor.  She then joined the Maricopa County Public Defender’s Office, where she served as a criminal defense lawyer, and gained significant trial experience.  In 1997, Karen went to work at the State Bar of Arizona, as a prosecutor in the Lawyer Regulation Department.  Karen engaged in extensive trial work, enforcing the Rules of Professional Conduct.  In July 2002, she became the first writing supervisor in Lawyer Regulation, editing the appellate work product of all bar counsel, including supervisors.  Karen argued two significant lawyer discipline cases to the Arizona Supreme Court.  In 2004, Karen was promoted to Ethics Counsel.  In this role, she drafted ethics opinions, provided ethics advice to Arizona attorneys and taught numerous continuing legal education seminars throughout the state.  She supervised the State Bar’s Ethics Department, including the staff of the Client Protection Fund and Fee Arbitration Program.   In 2005, Karen was admitted to the Hawaii State Bar and started a firm in Waikoloa, Hawaii.  She served on the Hawaii State Bar’s Consumer Protection Committee, and was instrumental in drafting a pending Supreme Court rule prohibiting the unauthorized practice of law.  She also served as President of the West Hawaii Bar Association.  In January 2009 Karen returned to Arizona and opened the firm of Adams & Clark, PC.  The firm focuses on representing lawyers in discipline matters, admissions, reinstatements and fee disputes, and also offers lawyers guidance on the new rules concerning random trust account audits.