Karen Lopez

Attorney Karen McDonald Lopez has spent her career standing at the intersection of law, public service, advocacy, and practical problem solving. She earned her Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center and has practiced in Michigan, Washington, D.C., and Maryland, with her active license in Michigan.

Her legal career began with public service and trial work. She has handled civil litigation, criminal defense, public defender appointments, prosecution matters, municipal law, institutional governance, federal housing compliance, family-law disputes, and appellate-oriented trial strategy. She served as the first woman appointed Chief Legal Officer and City Attorney for the City of Flint, where she directed the legal affairs of the City and managed the City’s Victim Advocacy Program. She later served as General Counsel to the Flint Housing Commission and as Vice President for External Affairs & Governance at Hurley Medical Center, where she worked closely with executive leadership, board members, public officials, and healthcare stakeholders.

Throughout that broad career, Attorney Lopez developed the skills that matter most in high-conflict family and domestic-abuse cases: disciplined investigation, fearless advocacy, calm crisis judgment, persuasive writing, witness preparation, evidentiary analysis, negotiation, and the ability to see how power, control, money, housing, children, and safety interact in real life.

Her current practice is intentionally focused. She represents and advises clients in divorce and legal separation matters involving domestic violence, coercive control, intimidation, stalking, financial abuse, and related family-law issues. She also writes and speaks through the Justice Illustrated / Armored Survivor platform to help survivors understand the path from victimization to legal strategy, confidence, and freedom.

Profile Highlights

• More than four decades of litigation and courtroom experience
• Georgetown University Law Center, Juris Doctor
• Active Michigan attorney; admitted to the United States Supreme Court
• Former Chief Legal Officer / City Attorney / Prosecutor for the City of Flint
• Former Manager of the City of Flint Victim Advocacy Program
• Former General Counsel, Flint Housing Commission
• Former Vice President for External Affairs & Governance, Hurley Medical Center
• Former Instructor, Mott Community College, Introduction to Business Law
• State Bar of Michigan Clarity Award recipient for Plain English legal writing