Partner
Karen E. Evans is a former registered nurse and preeminent trial attorney in The Cochran Firm’s Washington, D.C. office. Over the course of her 28 year career, her prime objective has and continues to be achieving justice for her clients. Throughout her career as a trial attorney, she has successfully prosecuted high-stakes litigation matters involving medical negligence. Since 2000, Ms. Evans has combined her years of experience as a registered nurse and former defense lawyer with her zealous advocacy skills to pursue claims on behalf of individuals and families who have suffered life changing catastrophic injuries and losses. Ms. Evans has successfully tried and settled numerous medical malpractice cases in the seven and eight-figure ranges. Her greatest joy comes from seeing the positive impact of her work on the lives of those who have put their trust in her.
Ms. Evans has been consistently selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America, Super Lawyers and The National Trial Lawyers Top 100 Lawyers, among other honors. She has also been listed in The Bar Register of Preeminent Women Lawyers. She has received the highest peer rating of Martindale Hubbell®, AV Preeminent. This rating signifies that a large number of Ms. Evans’ peers rank her at the highest level of professional excellence for her legal knowledge, communication skills and ethical standards.
Ms. Evans is the current President of the National Black Lawyers Top 100, a Past President of the Trial Lawyers Association of Metropolitan Washington, D.C., a Past President of the Washington Bar Association, (one of the National Bar Association’s oldest affiliates), and a Past President of the Washington Bar Association Educational Foundation, Inc. She currently serves on the Executive Committee of the National Trial Lawyers. She is a member of the D.C. Bar Board of Governors and a Director on the board of the Council for Court Excellence.
From 2007 to 2012, Ms. Evans was honored to teach law students at The University of the District of Columbia David A. Clarke School of Law, the District of Columbia’s public law school. UDC Law is committed to the public interest, using the law to help those in need and reshape our community.
A native of North Carolina, Ms. Evans earned her B.S.N. from East Carolina University School of Nursing and received her law degree from The University of North Carolina School of Law. Before law school, Ms. Evans was a Captain in the United States Air Force Nurse Corps and practiced medical/surgical and intensive care nursing for ten years. She began her legal education at Texas Tech University School of Law where she was selected for Law Review. After her first year of study, she transferred to The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill School of Law, where she earned her Juris Doctorate (J.D.) in 1990.
Ms. Evans is a member of the Maryland, District of Columbia and Virginia state and federal bars. She is also admitted and qualified as an attorney and counselor of the Supreme Court of the United States of America.
EDUCATION & BACKGROUND
East Carolina University, B.S.N., 1980
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, J.D., 1990
Registered Nurse
BAR ADMISSIONS
District of Columbia, 1990
Maryland, 1997
Virginia, 1997
BAR & PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITY
President, The National Black Lawyers Top 100
Legal Writing and Research Adjunct Professor of Law, David A. Clarke School of Law
Trial Lawyers Association of Metropolitan Washington DC
President (2012)
President Elect (2011)
Vice President (2010)
Treasurer (2009)
Secretary (2008)
Board of Governors (2003-present)
Former Captain (1981-87), United States Air Force Nurse Corps
Sustaining Member, Women’s Bar Association
Member, D.C. Diverse Partners Network
Washington Bar Association
Immediate Past President
1st Vice President (2012)
2nd Vice President (2011)
Judicial Selection Committee Chair (2011-12)
Executive Committee, Trial Lawyers Association, D.C.
Member, American Association of Nurse Attorneys
Member, American Bar Association
Advisory board member, S.M.A.R.T. – community organization dedicated to improving academics through sports
Member, National Bar Association
Member, American Association for Justice
Member, Maryland Association for Justice
Member, Virginia Trial Lawyers Association
Volunteer Mediator, Alternative Dispute Resolution Programs of the D.C. Superior Court and U.S. District Court for
D.C.
Speaker and guest lecturer: The George Washington University Law School, D. C. Superior Court Judicial Training session committee, Ohio Association for Justice
AWARDS & RECOGNITION
Commendation Medal, United States Air Force
Achievement Medal, United States Air Force
Super Lawyers 2007, 2012 – present
Washington, D.C.’s Top Lawyers
Best Lawyers in America 2009 – present
Rated AV Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Ratings (highest level of professional excellence)
Listed in the Bar Register of Preeminent Women Lawyers
National Women Trial Lawyers Top 25 – 2017
Trial Lawyers Association of Metropolitan Washington, D.C. 2018 Trial Lawyer of The Year
2019 Charlotte E. Ray Award, Greater Washington Area Chapter, Women Lawyers Division, National Bar Association
