Karen Josefsberg Ladis, Esq.
Executive Director
Ms. Ladis joined the agency in 1991 and, after serving as pro bono coordinator for 23 years, rose to executive director in 2014. A graduate of University of Miami Law School and active member of the UM Law Alumni Association, Ms. Ladis worked in private practice and was a frequent pro bono volunteer attorney. She served on the Young Lawyers Section of the Dade County Bar Association and The Bulletin Committee before joining the agency. Since 2014, she has served on the Board of DIrectors of the Dade County Bar Asociation, Ex-Officio, and on the Family, Children's, Probate, Public Service, Building and Long Range Planning Committees. Ms. Ladis is a member of the Florida Pro Bono Coordinators Association, The Florida Bar Standing Committee on Pro Bono Legal Services, Florida Civil Legal Aid Association, Eleventh Judicial Circuit Professionalism Committee, and Pro Bono committees of MDFAWL, Mission United, and the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Florida. She served on the ABA Pro Bono Standing Committee, the Public Service Committee of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation Attorneys Division, Young Leadership Council, and on The Florida Bar Board of Governors as a liaison. In 1998, Ladis received The Florida Bar YLD Pro Bono Public Service Award, in 2006, she received the DCBA inaugural Robert L. Shevin Public Service Award, and in 2012, she received the inaugural Eleventh Judicial Circuit Family Division Above & Beyond Award, and was awarded it again in 2015. In 2017, she received the DCBA Lifetime Achievement Award and from 2018 – 2024 has been recognized as a Legal Elite Government & Non Profit Attorney. In 2019, she was awarded the Women of Distinction Award, the Statewide Guardian ad Litem Program’s Outstanding GAL Award for the Eleventh Judicial Circuit, and the University of Miami Law Alumni Association Henry Latimer Leadership & Professionalism Award. In October 2021, she received the Miami Dade Bar Johnnie Ridgely President's Award for decades of service and in 2024 received The Circle of Excellence Award for Goverment/Non-Attorney. In 2025, she received the Arts-Legal Award presented by Arts Business Council and was inducted into the Court Care Hall of Fame.