DPA 2025 Annual Conference

Laura A. Karem (J.D., University of Louisville - Brandeis School of Law) is currently the Staff Attorney Supervisor for the Juvenile Post Disposition Branch of KY DPA and a veteran attorney with over 17 years of experience in indigent defense. Previously, she was the directing attorney for the DPA Harlan trial office and a juvenile specialist at the Pineville trial office. Ms. Karem has won both Toddler and Walker awards for juvenile and felony acquittals. She has been a past JPDB award recipient for pursuing systemic change in a rural juvenile court. In 2020 she was awarded KY DPA’s Annual Gault Award for contributions to youth defense. She has taught at the KY Public Defender College - Juvenile New Attorney Training, Juvenile & Eastern Region Summits, various in-house webinars, and DPA annual conferences on both juvenile and serious felony topics. She has also presented at the inaugural NAPD Women’s Conference on advocating for girls in the criminal-legal system. Laura began her career as an intern with the appeals branch of DPA in 2004 and never looked back. She is a current member of the Kentucky Juvenile Justice Advisory Board and the Great Lakes Regional Advisory Board for The Gault Center.