Phone: 650-368-4662, Ext. 106
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Practice Areas: Probate, Trust Law, Estate Planning, Conservatorships, Guardianships, Family Law

Melissa R. Karlsten is an associate of Aaron, Riechert, Carpol & Riffle, APC, and has been practicing in the areas of estate planning, trust, and probate law since 2001.

Ms. Karlsten is a native of the Bay Area. She attended St. Ignatius College Preparatory in San Francisco. After high school, she earned a B.A. in English Literature from Santa Clara University where she graduated Cum Laude in 1997. After teaching second grade at a San Jose grammar school, she went on to earn her J.D. at the University of San Francisco School of Law in 2002, where she also graduated Cum Laude. At U.S.F., Ms. Karlsten was a member of the McAuliffe Honor Society and served as the technical editor for the U.S.F. Law Review. In 1999, she received the CALI Award for Legal Research and Writing.

Ms. Karlsten is admitted to practice law in the State of California. She is a member of the San Mateo County Bar Association, served as President of the San Mateo County Barristers Association in 2007 and serves on the board for the Women Lawyers Section. She is a co-author of “When Death and Divorce Collide” published in the Spring 2005 California Trusts and Estates Quarterly. In addition, Ms. Karlsten currently volunteers with the San Mateo County Legal Aid Society, a non-profit organization offering individual representation to those in need, specifically representing family members in conservatorship proceedings.