About Karl J. F.
Karl J. F. Runft began his professional life at the intersection of the Midwest classroom and the courtroom. He earned a B.A. from the University of Chicago and went on to receive his J.D. from the University of Wisconsin Law School. Those formative years left him with a methodical approach to legal problems and a grounding in both theory and practice.
He started his legal career as an associate at Bledsoe Cathcart in 2009. That early period was spent learning courtroom routines and client work at close quarters. By 2012 he had moved into roles that placed him more squarely in litigation practice. He worked as a lawyer at KR Law and took on the title of Senior Litigation Counsel at Nopar & Associates in the same year. Those positions expanded his exposure to complex filings and contested matters across several jurisdictions.
Outside of firm walls, Runft has also put time into legal publishing. In 2014 he launched KJFR Publishing, an effort that produced written materials for practitioners and observers of the law. The publishing project allowed him to examine legal doctrine in a different register and to shape written argument and explanation for broader audiences. It is a strand of his career that complements courtroom work.
In 2018 he joined Peterson, Martin & Reynolds LLP as Senior Counsel. That role added management of larger cases and coordination with multi-disciplinary teams. Over the years Runft has maintained admissions in Idaho, California and Wisconsin, which has required keeping current with rules and procedure in three distinct state systems. His trajectory shows steady movement from junior associate work to positions that combine litigation responsibility and editorial judgment.
Runft’s record is one of varied practice settings: small firm associate work, in-house litigation leadership, independent publishing and a senior counsel position at a larger firm. He has handled matters that require persuasive written advocacy and courtroom readiness. He also brings experience translating technical or arcane points of law for judges and clients alike. He now concentrates his practice on civil litigation and appellate matters.
