05 Jan IMLA Announces New Executive Director / General Counsel Amanda Karras
As of January 1, 2022 Amanda Karras will lead IMLA as Executive Director / General Counsel.
Ms. Karras has worked at IMLA for 8 years with the previous positions of Deputy General Counsel and Director of Legal Advocacy. In the capacity of Executive Director and General Counsel, Ms. Karras will oversee IMLA’s governance and staff. Ms. Karras will also continue to oversee IMLA’s legal advocacy efforts with the United States Supreme Court, Circuit Courts, and state appellate courts. Ms. Karras has authored numerous amicus briefs including at the Supreme Court merits and petition stage as well as in federal circuit courts. Ms. Karras also makes regular presentations around the country to local government attorneys and officials on topics related to local governments, including Supreme Court and federal trend updates. Ms. Karras is also responsible for developing the content at IMLA’s conferences. Additionally, Ms. Karras leads a number of working groups for IMLA on emerging issues. Ms. Karras has co-taught a course on local government law at George Washington University Law School. Prior to joining IMLA, Ms. Karras worked in private practice in Boston, Massachusetts, focusing on employment law and litigation, first with Ropes & Gray, LLP and later with Hirsch Roberts Weinstein LLP. Ms. Karras received a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Colby College and earned her Juris Doctor from Suffolk University Law School, graduating magna cum laude. Ms. Karras is admitted to practice in Massachusetts, the U.S. District Court for Massachusetts, the Ninth Circuit, and the United States Supreme Court.
In response to Ms. Karras’ new position, many colleagues had well wishes and congratulatory thoughts:
Chuck Thompson, IMLA’s outgoing Executive Director and General Counsel, had high praise regarding Ms. Karras’ new position: “… I am very happy that Amanda Karras has been selected and agreed to take on the role. She is superbly qualified and has earned the respect and loyalty of all those with whom she has worked.”
Similarly, Barbara A. Adams, IMLA President and General Counsel for the Illinois Local Government Lawyers Association, added: “Amanda has excelled in her roles during her last eight years with IMLA and the Board of Directors is confident that she will continue to excel as she assumes the roles of Executive Director/General Counsel. I and the Board of Directors look forward to working with her as IMLA continues to provide excellent services to, and legal advocacy on behalf of, IMLA’s membership.”
Jeff Dana, City Solicitor for Providence, Rhode Island and current member of the IMLA Board of Directors, noted: “Amanda has done a phenomenal job for IMLA and its members during the past several years. As both a municipal attorney and IMLA board member, I really look forward to working with Amanda in her new role as Executive Director/General Counsel.”
Founded in 1935, the International Municipal Lawyers Association (IMLA) is a non-profit, nonpartisan organization consisting of over 2,500 local government attorneys throughout the United States and Canada. IMLA provides a wide range of services and programs to its membership, including comprehensive educational programs, legal research, professional publications, and legal advocacy on behalf of its members in the United States Supreme Court, as well as federal and state appellate courts.