Kavita C. Desai
Drawing from more than fifteen years of experience practicing law, Kavita Desai helps clients navigate issues related to family law, including divorce, child custody, child support, spousal support, equitable distribution and domestic violence. Kavita proudly served as a volunteer attorney for the Council for Children’s Rights for over ten years, providing pro bono legal representation to children whose parents were engaged in high conflict custody disputes.
Before joining James, McElroy and Diehl, Kavita clerked for Justice Wallace of the Supreme Court of New Jersey, and then practiced as a litigation associate at a large law firm in New York, NY. She subsequently moved to Houston, TX, where she served as a staff attorney at a children’s rights nonprofit organization.
Originally from southern Illinois, Kavita received a Bachelor of Arts in history and women’s studies from Barnard College, Columbia University. She went on to earn her Juris Doctor from Rutgers School of Law – Newark.
Academic Background
- J.D., magna cum laude, Rutgers School of Law – Newark, 2008
- B.A., magna cum laude, Barnard College, Columbia University, 2002
Bar & Court Admissions
- North Carolina State Bar
- New Jersey State Bar
- New York State Bar
- United States District Court, Southern District of New York
- United States District Court, Eastern District of New York
Affiliations
- North Carolina Bar Association
- Mecklenburg County Bar Association
Professional Recognition
- Business North Carolina Legal Elite in Family Law, 2023-2026
- Best Lawyers in America© in Family Law, 2025-2027
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- ‘I think it was a system failure’ | CMS sued as volunteer faces several sex crime charges (WCNC, Aug. 22, 2019)
- Family Sues CMS Following Sexual Assault Claims (Spectrum News, Aug. 22, 2019)
- Lawsuit Challenges CMS Scrutiny Of Volunteers, Vendors (WFAE, Aug. 22, 2019)
- Parents say CMS got wind of volunteer – long before police say he abused their child (Charlotte Observer, Aug. 20, 2019)
