Karen Ricard is a Law Clerk at Pleiss Sitar McGrath Gates & Ajello. Ms. Ricard joined the legal field following a successful 15-year career in higher education administration at the University of California, Los Angeles. Prior to joining PSMG&A, Ms. Ricard worked in family law on dissolution and domestic violence cases.
Ms. Ricard graduated from University of California, Berkeley with a degree in Political Science. At UC Berkeley, Ms. Ricard interned at the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia, in Washington, D.C., as part of UC Berkeley’s premier Cal in the Capital public service internship program. She obtained her Juris Doctorate from Whittier Law School in Costa Mesa, California. She was honored in law school for her work as an External Competing Member for the Moot Court Honors Board; a Fellow for the Center for Children and Families, and as Staff Editor for the Journal of Child and Family Advocacy. She received several awards and distinctions at Whittier, including the Dean’s Citation Award; a Certificate in Child and Family Law and CALI Awards for earning the highest grade in both Legal Writing and Wills, Trusts and Estates.
During her time at Whittier, Ms. Ricard interned in Washington D.C., as a Fellow for the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute advising members of Congress’ Adoption Caucus on foster care and adoption issues, and as an intern for the California Department of Justice, Office of Attorney General, Criminal Division.
Ms. Ricard is a strong advocate for issues seeking to ameliorate risks to vulnerable children in the California foster care system, the nation’s largest child welfare system designed to protect abused and neglected children. She is a volunteer and advocate for Team Rubicon, a veteran-led disaster response organization, in service of Southern California neighbors and communities in times of emergencies.