Karen M. Richardson is Executive Director of the National Association of Women Lawyers (NAWL), where she has spent more than a decade helping to advance the organization’s mission. A trained attorney, she combines deep institutional knowledge with a collaborative, strategic leadership style.
Karen leads NAWL’s day-to-day operations and long-term strategy, overseeing finance, sponsorship, brand management, membership engagement, human resources, and organizational planning. Under her leadership, NAWL has continued to grow and evolve, strengthening its programs and impact.
She is deeply committed to building on NAWL’s 125-year legacy of supporting women in the legal profession and advocating for gender equity.
Outside of work, Karen is actively involved in her community, serving on an independent school’s Board of Trustees and coaching a Girls on the Run team to help young girls build confidence and leadership skills. She lives in northern Vermont, where she enjoys skiing, hiking, and spending time with her family. Karen earned her J.D. and B.A. from Loyola University Chicago.
