At Warshafsky Law Firm, we take real pride in the people who make up our team, not just for what they do inside the courtroom, but for how they show up in the broader legal community. So, when one of our own leaves leadership for the Association for Women Lawyers, that deserves more than a passing mention.
After spending time learning from circuit court judges and representing insurance companies, Krista LaFave joined Warshafsky in 2016, eager to represent people. Since then, she has built a practice that covers a wide range of personal injury matters, from motor vehicle collision claims to complex litigation involving multiple insurance carriers. She has also built something else entirely: a sustained record of service to the legal profession that few attorneys in Milwaukee can match.
A Long Road to the Presidency
Attorney LaFave did not arrive at the AWL presidency overnight. Her involvement with the Association for Women Lawyers spans more than a decade, beginning as the Litigation Discussion Group Chair from 2014 to 2019, then transitioning to a Board Member role starting in 2019, before ultimately serving as President for the 2024 to 2025 term, and closing out as the Past President in 2026. That kind of trajectory reflects something we genuinely admire: someone who earns leadership by doing the unglamorous work first.
About that Litigation Discussion Group role… it is worth pausing on. Chairing a discussion group for five years is not a resume line. It is years of organizing meetings, preparing materials, and keeping attorneys engaged on topics that matter to litigators. That groundwork laid the foundation for everything that followed.
Attorney LaFave presided over the Annual Meeting for the Association for Women Lawyers, where she and her fellow board members were sworn in for the 2024 to 2025 year. In her remarks, she discussed the 40-plus year history of the organization and its mission that year to develop a strategic plan to ensure that it continues to support women in the legal profession. Thinking strategically about an organization’s long-term future while simultaneously managing an active legal practice and a judicial role takes a particular kind of discipline. Krista has it.
What Does AWL Do?
Established in its current form in 1981, the Association for Women Lawyers provides support for women attorneys working in the Milwaukee area, with primary goals of advancing the legal interests and civil rights of women and furthering the professional development of female lawyers. The AWL is an approximately 400-member bar association based in Milwaukee.
The organization does meaningful and tangible work. Law students at Marquette University Law School receive advice from AWL members at annual speed-mentoring events. Women Judges’ Night not only celebrates women judges but serves as a forum for encouraging young women to pursue careers in law, with five scholarships awarded each year by the AWL Foundation to current Marquette University and University of Wisconsin law students. The organization plans monthly events to provide networking and volunteering opportunities for lawyers.
That is not a ceremonial organization. That is a working one. Leading it well requires genuine effort.
A Career Built on More Than Courtroom Work
Attorney LaFave’s community involvement extends well beyond the AWL. She attended Tulane University Law School, competed in the Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration in Vienna, Austria, and, upon graduating magna cum laude, received the prestigious Tulane 34 Award, given to only 34 graduates each year in recognition of scholarship and dedication to the school community. From there, she returned to Wisconsin and built a practice rooted in standing up for people who have been hurt.
She was recognized as Best Lawyers: One to Watch in America for 2025, has been selected to the Super Lawyers Rising Star list from 2018-2023, and was selected as a Super Lawyer in 2025 and 2026. In 2023, Attorney LaFave was honored with the Wisconsin Association for Justice Women’s Caucus RBG Notorious Servant Award. The award aims to recognize an outstanding female lawyer who dedicates herself to community stewardship, mentorship, and encouragement of other women, as well as bettering the legal profession through service. To clarify that last point: the RBG Notorious Servant Award is not a “best attorney” accolade. It specifically honors service. The fact that Attorney LaFave received it while also building an active litigation practice says something about how she allocates her time and energy.
In addition to her role as an advocate for clients, Attorney LaFave serves as the Municipal Court Judge for the City of Wauwatosa, elected by residents in April 2022 and re-elected in April 2026 . On Wednesdays, Attorney LaFave is typically presiding over municipal court, enforcing ordinances and working with juveniles. She took on this additional responsibility because she cares deeply about her community and believes the position is essential to ensuring safety and equal ordinance enforcement.
What Comes Next for the AWL
During Krista’s Presidency, she oversaw the development of a strategic plan for the next 5 years of AWL. The AWL Board will continue Krista’s work and develop this organization to help more women attorneys. Members have the opportunity to expand their knowledge on various legal topics by attending continuing legal education courses the AWL hosts throughout the year, and the organization provides networking opportunities with female leaders in the local legal community at events like Women Judges’ Night. That infrastructure does not run itself. It requires people willing to stay engaged after their official term ends.
Why This Matters to Our Clients
Most people looking for a personal injury attorney are not thinking about bar association leadership. And that is completely understandable. When someone has been injured on I-94 near the Marquette Interchange, or in a collision on Wisconsin Avenue through downtown Milwaukee, the immediate concern is getting proper legal representation, not an attorney’s committee work.
But here is what we have found: attorneys who invest in their professional community tend to be sharper advocates. They know judges. They know the insurance attorneys. They understand how courts in Milwaukee County, Waukesha County, and across Wisconsin actually operate. They have relationships with opposing counsel that allow for more productive conversations when it matters. That institutional knowledge translates directly into better outcomes for clients.
Our attorneys are well-connected in the legal profession through both their representation of clients and their involvement in organizations.
Clients facing injury claims in Wisconsin deserve an attorney who treats their case as the serious matter it is, and who brings both courtroom skill and genuine community investment to the table. Krista and our other attorneys take the time to explain complicated legal issues and ensure that clients understand their options and the process. That is not a marketing line. It reflects how we actually practice.
We are proud of what Krista accomplished during her term on the AWL Board of Directors. And we are glad to have her every day at Warshafsky, fighting for the people who need it most.
If you have been injured and want to speak with our team, contact Warshafsky Law Firm. We are here when you need us.
