Partner
Karen S. Nelson joined Carlson & Burnett as a partner in January 2016, and she is part of the firm’s family law team. Karen earned her Bachelor of Arts Degree, magna cum laude, from Coe College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa in 1991 with a double major in Political Science and Speech, and her Juris Doctor, cum laude, from Creighton University School of Law in 1994. After law school, Karen clerked for Judge Richard Sievers at the Nebraska Court of Appeals.
Prior to entering private practice in 2005, Karen spent eight years as Deputy Douglas County Attorney in Omaha. In that position, she was assigned to the Juvenile Division, where she prosecuted many complex juvenile law cases and gained valuable appellate experience. Prior to joining Carlson & Burnett, Karen was an Associate Attorney at another Omaha firm, where she litigated family law cases; handled guardianship and conservatorship cases, and adoption cases; assisted with defending criminals in cases assigned to the Alternate Public Defender Contract; as well as other aspects of the law.
Since becoming a partner at Carlson & Burnett, Karen’s practice has focused on all aspects of family law—including divorce, child custody, adoption, and guardianships—as well as criminal defense. Karen was a co-author of the chapter on disabilities in the Family Law Practice Manual published in 2019 by the Nebraska State Bar Association.
Bar Admissions
- Nebraska, 1995
- United States Supreme Court, 1999
