Karen Adam

Superior Court Judge (Ret.)

Judge Adam served as an Arizona Superior Court judge in Pima County, Arizona (Tucson) from 2010-2015. As the Presiding Judge of the Pima County Juvenile Court from 2011-2014, she was responsible for 500 employees, including 14 judicial officers, a $32,000,000 budget, and an on-site detention facility. During her term, Judge Adam led major juvenile justice reform efforts, including un-shackling children for court hearings, developing a tool for measuring and reducing disproportionate minority contact (DMC), and implementing detention alternatives through the Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative (JDAI.)

Judge Adam is a member of the Self-Represented Litigants Network, the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ), and the Arizona and National Chapters of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts. While serving as a member of the Board of Trustees of the NCJFCJ, Judge Adam chaired the Juvenile and Family Law Department Advisory Committee and co-chaired the Diversity Committee. She remains active in the NCJFCJ as a co-chair of the Curriculum Committee and member of the Legislative Committee.

Judge Adam has lectured nationally and internationally on self-represented litigation, family violence, trauma, alternatives to detention, and the rights of children in court. She has been on the faculty of the National Judicial College since 2007.

Judge Adam retired from the bench in November 2015 after 34 years of service as a Tucson City Court Magistrate, a Superior Court Commissioner, and a Superior Court Judge.

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