About Karen Fontana
Karen Fontana Young earned her law degree from Tulane University School of Law in 1995 after completing undergraduate studies at The Catholic University of America in 1990. While still a student she spent time in legislative settings. In 1989 she worked as a research assistant to Tim Devlin of the House of Commons. The following year she interned for Representative Lindy Boggs in the U.S. House of Representatives. Those early experiences gave her firsthand exposure to statutory drafting and the practical side of government work.
She began her legal career at the Louisiana Supreme Court. In 1995 she served as a law clerk to Justice Walter F. Marcus. The clerkship placed her at the center of appellate decision-making and acquainted her with complex state-law issues. It also offered a bridge from academic study to courtroom practice.
Young moved into private practice soon after her clerkship. In 1996 she joined Jones Walker LLP as a partner. That role was followed in 2004 by a partner position at Niles, Bourque, Fontana & Knight LLC. Each stop introduced new clients and new procedural challenges. In 2014 she took on the title of Special Counsel at Kean Miller LLP, where she continues to work.
Her admissions cover Louisiana and three federal district courts: the U.S. District Court for the Eastern, Middle and Western Districts of Louisiana. She maintains memberships in the New Orleans Bar Association, the Louisiana State Bar Association and the American Bar Association. Those connections keep her current on local practice norms and federal procedures.
Colleagues describe Young as methodical and direct. She approaches filings and hearings with an eye for detail. She has handled matters that require coordination across state and federal dockets. The work often involves briefing complex legal questions and preparing witnesses for deposition and trial.
Outside the courtroom she has kept ties to the civic and legislative world that shaped her early career. Her time in government offices informs how she evaluates regulatory issues and administrative records. That background sometimes proves useful when clients face matters that touch both public agencies and private disputes.
Young’s career spans appellate work, private-firm practice and counsel roles. She has taken on leadership responsibilities within firm teams and engaged in litigation management. Today she practices from Kean Miller LLP, handling matters that arise in both Louisiana state courts and the U.S. district courts across the state.
She represents clients in matters before Louisiana state courts and the U.S. district courts in the state.
