Karen Kennard
Karen Kennard is the First Assistant City Attorney for the City of Austin. In this position, she serves as the chief deputy to the City Attorney. Karen is primarily responsible for overseeing the day to day operations of the 90 member legal department by assisting the City Attorney in managing and distributing workloads, tracking and monitoring the department’s budget and assisting on certain special projects.
Prior to joining the City of Austin, Karen served as General Counsel for the Texas Municipal League (TML). During her 14 ½ years at TML, Karen served in many different positions and acquired an in-depth knowledge of the legal and legislative issues that impact cities.
Karen began her legal career as an Assistant City Attorney for the City of Midland.
Karen received her law degree from Texas Tech University and her Bachelors of Arts degree from Southern Methodist University.
Karen has been involved in numerous local civic and political organizations during her 17 years as a resident of Austin.