Karen S. Cliffe is the Director of the Family Support Division for the Office of the Clark County District Attorney.

Ms. Cliffe graduated from Gonzaga University School of Law in Spokane, Washington in 2001. Prior to graduation she completed an internship with the Clark County District Attorney’s Office. She began her legal career in private practice engaging in civil litigation. With the goal of improving the lives of children and families, she returned to the District Attorney’s Office in 2004 where she has served as a Deputy District Attorney in the Family Support Division. She was promoted to Chief Deputy District Attorney in 2009, became the Team Chief of the Family Support Division in 2017, and has served as the Director since 2021.


The District Attorney Family Support Division maintains a caseload of over 46,000 cases and collects over $145 million every year for children and families. The Division excels in every federal performance measure and continually ranks within the top ten nationwide. Currently, Ms. Cliffe supervises approximately 300 employees, including 12 Deputy District Attorneys.


Ms. Cliffe is an appointed member of the Nevada Child Support Guideline Commission to represent the Office of the District Attorney, and in this role she crafted comprehensive changes to the Nevada child support laws, specifically replacing statutes in Chapter 125B of the Nevada Revised Statutes with Chapter 425 of the Nevada Administrative Code. She has presented before the Family Court Judiciary, the State Bar of Nevada Annual Family Law Conference and the Child Support Director’s Association National Child Support Attorney College.

In her spare time Ms. Cliffe is devoted to community outreach and has served as a volunteer Truancy Diversion Court Judge, along with assisting at Project Homeless Connect, Veteran’s Outreach and the Legal Aid monthly “Ask a Lawyer” program.