Managing Partner / Chief Criminal Litigator
Lisa B. Kirsch Satawa
Lisa B. Kirsch Satawa is a distinguished Chief Criminal Litigator and Strategist at Kirsch Daskas Law Group (KDLG) in Bloomfield Hills, MI. With an unwavering commitment to justice and boasting over 29 years of legal experience, Lisa specializes in providing relentless defense. KDLG serves as steadfast allies in the pursuit of justice, dedicated to establishing new benchmarks of excellence in criminal defense. Her practice is built on a client-centered approach that transcends mere promises – it forms the bedrock of her commitment, ensuring each client receives the personalized attention, support, and representation they rightfully deserve.
Following her education, Lisa held positions at law firms in Birmingham and Southfield, Michigan, where she specialized in criminal and civil matters concerning children. Her work involved defending parents and defendants falsely accused in cases of sexual assault and child abuse, advocating for children’s rights, adoption, and representing juveniles and adults facing criminal charges. Additionally, she served as Guardian Ad Litem for abused or neglected children in various legal proceedings and conducted consultations on intra-school misconduct issues.
Lisa embarked on a new journey in her legal career with the establishment of KDLG in 2015. Her vision was to create a legal practice where clients are valued partners, and their goals come first. Since its inception, KDLG has tackled a broad spectrum of legal issues, ranging from Criminal Sexual Conduct (CSC), juvenile criminal defense, and child abuse to family law, internet crimes, protective services defense, child protection, and termination of parental rights. As Chief Criminal Litigator and Lead Strategist, Lisa’s role extends statewide, advocating for clients across Michigan in criminal, expungement, and protective services cases. These cases demand a depth of expertise spanning linguistics, forensic interviewing, cognitive development, psychology, and child abuse. This multifaceted training empowers her to navigate complex legal challenges with meticulous integrity and thoroughness, addressing both the legal and psychological dimensions of each case.
More About Lisa
Education
- Detroit College of Law, Detroit, Michigan
- Juris Doctorate, May 1994
- Honors/Activities:
- Winner of Am. Jur. Award for top performance in Criminal Law and Criminal Procedure.
- Research Assistant, Professor Patricia Mell and Professor Jack Apol (Criminal Law).
- All-School Moot court Competition, 1992, 1993.
- Street Law Project Participant
- Founder and executive Director of “Hands on Detroit”.
- Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts
- B.A. International Economics, 1987
Bar Admissions
- State Bar of Michigan
- May 1995
- US District Court, Eastern District of Michigan
- 1995
- 6th Circuit Court of Appeals
- 2003
- United States Supreme Court
- 2006
Areas Served
- Counties of Practice
- Oakland
- Wayne
- Macomb
- Livingston
- St. Clair
- Allegan
- Lenawee
- Sanilac
- Presque Isle
- Emmet
- Mecosta
- Ingham
- Osceola
- Gratiot
- Clinton
- Muskegon
- Washtenaw
- Genesee
- Lapeer
- St. Joseph
- Hillsdale
- Calhoun
- Kalamazoo
- Monroe
- Roscommon
- Crawford
- Montmorency
- Berrien
- Grand Traverse
- Antrim
- Lake
- Isabella
- Delta
- Bay
- Branch
- Van Buren
- Family, juvenile, and criminal divisions
- States of Practice
- Michigan
- Ohio
- Colorado
- Idaho
- Missouri
- Florida
- Pro hac vice admission on a case-by-case basis
Pre-Licensure Experience
- Hertz, Schram and Saretsky, P.C.
- Law Clerk
- Bloomfield Hills, Michigan
- September 1994 to June 1995
- Researched and prepared complaints, motions, briefs and memoranda pertaining to securities, criminal and consumer fraud issues.
- Wayne County Prosecutor
- Contract Intern Prosecuting Attorney, Child and Family Abuse Unit
- Detroit, Michigan
- January 1993 to July 1994
- Conducted preliminary examinations in child abuse, sexual assault and domestic violence cases and misdemeanor jury trials pursuant to MCR 8.120.
- Law Office of William Mitchell, III
- Law Clerk
- Southfield, Michigan
- August 1993 to December 1993
- Researched and prepared motions and briefs in criminal defense cases. Attended and actively assisted in murder, drug and sex crime trials.
- 48th District Court
- Judicial Research Clerk
- Bloomfield Hills, Michigan
- May 1992 to August 1993
- Judicial Research Clerk to the Honorable Edward Avadenka and the Honorable Gus Cifelli.
- 6th Judicial Circuit of Michigan, Pre-Trial Services
- Investigator
- Pontiac, Michigan
- May 1992 to August 1992
- Interviewed in-custody criminal defendants, verified personal information, confirmed criminal history and drafted bond recommendations to assist District and Circuit Court Judges with a bail/bond determination.
- Dean Witter Reynolds, Inc.
- Securities Broker
- Boston, Massachusetts; New York, New York; and Southfield, Michigan
- January 1986 to June 1991
- Securities licensure: Series 7, General Securities; Series 63, Michigan Blue Sky; Insurance Certification.
Professional Seminar Training and Experience
I have lectured and presented on Criminal Law and Child Protection Issues in Michigan and Nationally.
- Speaker/Coach, Criminal Defense Attorneys of Michigan Trial College, Cross Examination: Tips and Techniques, August 2026
- Speaker, St. Clair County Public Defenders/ MIDC Regional Training; Anatomy of a Criminal Sexual Conduct Case, March 2026.
- Creator/Facilitator, A is for Attorney, Criminal Defense Attorneys of Michigan (CDAM)’ skills bootcamp for new criminal defense lawyers, March, July and November, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026.
- Speaker, Criminal Defense Attorneys of Michigan Summer Conference, Thinking on your feet, an improvisational approach to sex crime defense.
- Trainer, Criminal Defense Attorneys of Michigan Trial College, Arming the Trainer Toolbox, June 2024
- Speaker, Criminal Defense Attorneys of Michigan, Pandemic Webinar Series: Cross-examination of Child Witnesses, 2021.
- Speaker, State Bar of Michigan, Mid-Winter Criminal Law Conference: Collateral Consequences of Criminal Behavior: Central Registry & Family Law, Mt. Pleasant, Michigan, February 2020.
- Speaker, Criminal Defense Attorneys of Michigan, Advanced Criminal Law Conference, Questioning Child Hearsay Witnesses, Boyne Falls, Michigan, November 2019
- Attendee, Wright’s Law Advanced Education Law Seminar, Ann Arbor, Michigan, October 2019
- Speaker, Oakland County Bar Association, Juvenile Law Committee, Child Witness Issues, Pontiac, Michigan, May 2019
- Speaker, National Business Institute, Special Education Issues (IEP and 504): The IEP Development Process, Grand Rapids, MI, Lansing, MI and Sterling Heights, MI, 2018-2019
- Speaker, Criminal Defense Attorneys of Michigan, Advanced Criminal Law Conference, Experts and Daubert: Issue Spotting and Choosing Experts- How Do I Know What I Need and Who Can Teach the Jury, Troy, Michigan, March 2019
- Speaker, Criminal Defense Attorneys of Michigan, Advanced Criminal Law Seminar, Cross-examination of Child Witnesses, Boyne Falls, Michigan, November 2018.
- Speaker, Wayne County Criminal Advocacy Program (CAP), Intro to Criminal Sexual Conduct, February 2018
- Speaker, National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers 2017 Annual Meeting, San Francisco, California, July 27, 2017, Thematic Cross Examination.
- Speaker, Oregon Criminal Defense Lawyers Association 2017 Annual Conference, Bend, Oregon, June 2017. Expert Witnesses: Bulletproofing and Shooting to Kill.
Awards / Recognition
- National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL)
- Member, 1995–present
- Continuing Education Institute, 2012-2015 Term
- National Child Abuse Defense Resource Center, International Conference on Defending Child Abuse Allegations, The Law, The Science, The Myths, The Reality, 1996–present
- State of Michigan, Guardian Ad Litem Training and Certification, 2003-present
- Oakland County Bar Association (Criminal and Children’s Law Committee)
- National Association of Counsel for Children, 1998-present
- Women’s Bar Association, Member, present
- Michigan State Bar, Kimberly Cahill Young Leadership Award, 2011
- Criminal Defense Attorneys of Michigan Right to Counsel Award, 2020
- 2023 Michigan Lawyers Weekly Influential Women of Law
- Update Michigan Super Lawyer, 2009–Present
- Crain’s Detroit Business, Michigan Top 50 Women Lawyers, 2014–Present
- NYT Top Attorney in Michigan, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2020–Present
- Super Lawyers Excellence in Practice Award, 2016–Present
- American Institute of Family Law Attorneys Client Satisfaction Award, 2016
- National Association of Distinguished Counsel, Nation’s Top 1%, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022
- Hour Detroit, Top Women Attorneys in Michigan, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022
- Top 5% America’s Most Honored Professionals, 2019, 2020
- 2020 Elite Advocate Criminal Law
- Lawyers of Distinction, Recognizing Excellence in Criminal Defense Law, 2018
- Eastern District of Michigan Certificate of Appreciation, Pro Bono Civil Assignment Panel
- Life Member of the National Registry of Who’s Who
Professional Seminar / Memberships
- State Bar of Michigan
- Representative Assembly, 9/2001-2006
- Children’s Law Section Counsel, 1996-2003
- Criminal Law Counsel, 10/2002-10/2003
- Criminal Defense Attorneys of Michigan (CDAM) Liaison to Representative Assembly and Criminal Law Committee, 2006-2007
- Member of Criminal Law, Children’s Law and Family Law sections
- Criminal Defense Attorneys of Michigan (CDAM)
- Member, 1993 to present
- Board of Directors, 2001-2011
- Executive Board, Treasurer, 2004-2007
- Chair, Development Committee, 2008-09
- Member of Membership Committee and Education Committee
- Faculty at Trial College, 2005-present
- Faculty, A is for Attorney, 2005–present
- National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL)
- Consent Task Force, present
- National Consent Task Force, 2019-2021
- State of Michigan Sexual Assault Model Policy Project
- Collaborator on a multidisciplinary team creating and implementing a protocol for law enforcement to respond to sexual assault in the State of Michigan, 2013-present
- State of Michigan Criminal Jury Instructions Committee
- 2015-2018
Proud Moment as an Attorney
One of my proudest moments as a criminal defense attorney was when, along with the University of Michigan Innocence Clinic and Northwestern University’s Center on Wrongful Convictions, we successfully achieved exoneration for a man serving life in prison for a wrongful conviction. He had been incarcerated for 18 years for the rape and murder of an elderly woman in 1996, based on a false confession and untestable DNA evidence.
Knowing the law is important. Understanding the ins and outs of sex charges and the best defense strategies is crucial. It’s about more than legal expertise; it’s about protecting my clients’ best interests and being their trusted advocate in the toughest times. You don’t have to face these charges alone—we’re here to stand by your side every step of the way.
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