Kirsch Daskas Law Group, Your Michigan Criminal Defense Law Firm
Lisa Kirsch Satawa
Managing Partner / Chief Criminal Litigator
Biography
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
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
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
Counties of Practice
– Oakland, Wayne, Macomb, Livingston, 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, Calhoun, Branch, and Van Buren; family, juvenile and criminal divisions.
States of Practice
– Ohio, Colorado, Idaho, Missouri & Florida
*Pro Hac Vice Admission on a case-by-case basis
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.
National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) member 1995 – present.
National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) 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
Michigan Super Lawyer: 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022
Crain’s Detroit Business, Michigan Top 50 Women Lawyers 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021,2022
NYT Top Attorney in Michigan 2011, 2012, 2014, 2018
Super Lawyers Excellence in Practice 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022
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
I have lectured and presented on Criminal Law and Child Protection Issues in Michigan and Nationally.
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.
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.
State of Michigan Sexual Assault Model Policy Project: collaborator on a multi-disciplinary 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.
National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) National Consent Task Force 2019-2021
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.
