Karen Leve is a Staff Attorney with the ACLU of Kansas. Prior to joining the ACLU, Karen was a Supervising Attorney at The Bronx Defenders, a holistic public defense office that represents clients in criminal, civil, and immigration matters. As a zealous public defender for over eight years, Karen amassed vast trial and emergency hearing experience, defending hundreds of parents and caregivers targeted by the family regulation system in Family Court. Before becoming a public defender, Karen was a law clerk for the Honorable Sallyanne Floria (ret) while she was the Presiding Judge of the Family Division of Essex County and later the Assignment Judge for the Superior Court of Essex County. 

Karen received her law degree from Seton Hall University. Before law school, Karen obtained her Master of Social Work from New York University. Karen holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Development Studies with a minor in Political Science from McGill University. 

Karen is proud to be a new resident of Kansas and is dedicated to making the Sunflower State a more just and equal place for all its residents.