Karen has been a lawyer for 22 years, concentrating in all types of litigation--criminal and civil. She is an Adjunct Professor of Law at University of Illinois College of Law, where she teaches the death penalty seminar and Chicago Litigation course (known as "Bootcamp"), a training seminar for lawyers that she devised. Regular participants in the program include U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald, former Governor James Thompson, Cook County States Attorney Dick Devine, Clerk of Court Dorothy Brown, Chicago Corporation Counsel Mara Georges, Illinois Supreme Court Justice Anne Burke, and many state and federal trial and appellate judges.

A member of the Illinois and California Bars, Ms. Conti has handled numerous significant cases, including a United States Supreme Court appeal on behalf of the Cook County Democratic Party, the death row appeals of John Wayne Gacy, and the criminal case of Marisol Reynolds, wife of former Congressman Mel Reynolds. She volunteers her legal services in women's issues, civil rights, and animal causes. For four years, she co-hosted and produced an award winning legal radio talk show on WJJD in Chicago called Chicago Law. She was a commentator on Montel Williams, Leeza Gibbons, Good Morning America and many other television programs. Currently, she hosts a weekly legal talk show "Legally Speaking" on Chicago's supersatian WGN (AM 720).

In addition to representing many indigent clients on a pro bono basis She is a regular legal commentator nationally on FOX News station and MSNBC and on FOX (WFLD TV) in Chicago. Ms. Conti lectures and writes about women in law, family and criminal law matters, the death penalty, and practical lawyering skills. She has been asked to speak at many seminars and events, including a death penalty symposium with Rubin "Hurricane" Carter, and a featured speaker at the 2007 Family Presentation Day rally at the Jefferson Reflection Pond in Washington, DC. She is General Counsel to and sits on the board of directors of Lake Shore Animal Shelter.

Karen Conti served as a professor at the National Student Leadership Conference at Stanford University program teaching trial advocacy skills (1998) and as a volunteer judge at Northwestern University Law School, John Marshall Law School, and Loyola University Law School.

Karen Conti is heavily involved in academics. For 10 years, she has taught "Bootcamp" for the University of Illinois College of Law, a well recognized course she developed. The one-week intensive course is geared to provide the students with a realistic experience of the substance and form of Cook County litigation. Ms. Conti is an Adjunct Law Professor at the College and taught the School's first death penalty course.

Karen graduated magna cum laude from Northern Illinois University with a degree in Political Science and from University of Illinois College of Law.

Karen's hobbies include reading, traveling, handwriting analysis, and all types of sports. She is an experienced marathoner and, in 1998, at the age of 36, competed and won second place in the NPC Illinois Body Building Competition.

Karen was voted one of 40 under 40 Illinois Attorneys to Watch by Chicago Lawyer Magazine, One of the 100 Women Making a Difference in Chicago by Today's Chicago Woman, Outstanding Alumni of the Year at University of Illinois College of Law, and the Distinguished Graduate Award.

E-mail: kconti@adamskiandconti.com