Nyquist Legal Team
Kara A. Nyquist, J.D. | Owner & Attorney
Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, University of Washington, 1995 Juris Doctorate Seattle University School of Law, Admitted to Practice Law by the Alaska Supreme Court in 2000.
Admitted to Practice Law in the United States Federal District in Alaska in 2000. Member in Good Standing with the Alaska Bar Association since 2000.
Member of the American Bar Association since 2000. Former Presidential Appointments to American Bar Association Commissions.
Former District Representative for Alaska & Hawaii to American Bar Association. Former Fellow to General and Sole Practitioner Division, American Bar Association. Top 40 Under 40 by the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce and Alaska Journal of Commerce. Co-Chair Family Law Section Alaska Bar Association Former Co-Chair Unbundled Section Alaska Bar Association, Mom and former spouse of Military Service Member.
KELLEY D. ARD, J.D. | SENIOR PARALEGAL
Joined Nyquist Law Group in 2015.
Ms. Ard graduated from William Mitchell College of Law in 2009. Before law school, Ms. Ard worked for the Alaska Court System as an In-Court Clerk for 17 years. After law school, she worked for the District Attorney’s Office in Anchorage, and for a prestigious law firm that focused solely on Indian Law. Ms. Ard received her B.A., in History, with honors, in 2005 from University of Alaska Anchorage, where she graduated Magna Cum Laude and Phi Alpha Theta. Ms. Ard is married to the love of her life, and is very proud of her two-adult stepsons. She has lived in Alaska since she was a young child and has lived in many places around the state: Soldotna, Kodiak, Juneau, Dutch Harbor/Unalaska, Utqiagvik (Barrow), and Anchorage. Outside of work, Ms. Ard enjoys spending time with her family and her spirited and lovable Irish Terrier, Theodore Rex Roosevelt (Teddy). Her hobbies include Scuba Diving, Travel, Cooking, and spending time with her friends enjoying good food and wine. Ms. Ard finds the field of Family Law extremely rewarding and cares about each individual client who may be dealing with challenging and difficult relationship or family issues.
JESSICA FALKE, J.D. | Associate attorney
Jessica Falke graduated from Mitchell Hamline School of Law with a Certificate in Conflict Resolution Theory and Practice from the nationally ranked Dispute Resolution Institute at Mitchell Hamline. Jessica became a bar member in 2022, but has been working with Nyquist Law Group, LLC since 2016. Prior to being admitted as a full member of the bar, Jessica took advantage of Bar Rule 44 permits and was practicing supervised by Kara Nyquist for almost two years. Jessica has a wealth of knowledge and experience in family law, and mediation. Jessica is passionate about dog rescue and currently has two dogs (and a rotating foster dog roster). Her experience as a legal professional, compassionate human, and mother all add to her skillset as an advocate for clients. Jessica feels honored to be able to advocate for and assist clients and their children during some of the most difficult times in their lives
PRIYA RAJ, J.D.| Associate attorney
Priya Raj graduated from the University of Texas School of Law in Austin, Texas and is barred in the states of Alaska and Texas. Priya moved up to Anchorage, Alaska in 2021 and joined Nyquist Law Group in 2023. Priya has always been passionate about family law and children’s welfare especially, and was a student attorney ad litem while still in law school, advocating for children in foster care. Today, Priya finds it very rewarding to help her clients through the divorce process so that they can begin a fresh chapter of their life.
ISABELLE DEARMOUN | ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANt
Isabelle is a third-generation Alaskan born and raised in Homer, Alaska. Ms. DeArmoun comes to us with five years of experience assisting in the legal field. Ms. DeArmoun holds a degree in criminal justice from Colorado Mesa University. With a background in private investigation and criminal defense, she has honed her skills in navigating the complexities of the legal system. Isabelle's Alaskan heritage enhances her understanding of the region's unique challenges, making her a dedicated and adept professional in the field of family law. Ms. DeArmoun enjoys spending her free time outside either camping, fishing, or playing hockey.
Kallie Lafferty | Legal Assistant
Kallie joined Nyquist Law Group in August of 2019. She graduated from the University of Alaska Anchorage with a BA in Legal Studies in the spring of 2020. Before joining NLG, Kallie gained two years as a legal secretary in a family law office. As a lifelong Alaskan, Kallie enjoys the outdoors with her family and dog, Remi, who you will find wagging his tail and greeting clients from her office at NLG. As one of the first points of contact with clients, Kallie is passionate about providing high quality customer service to each and every one of our clients. She is known for her timely updates and ability to communicate with clients efficiently. Her goal is to ease the legal process for families during their most difficult times.
KAZOUA XIONG | PERSONAL ASSISTANT
Kazoua joined Nyquist Law Group in summer 2023 as personal assistant to Ms. Nyquist. Her professional experience, skillsets, and personal attributes help to ensure the seamless operations of our office and allow for more time for Ms. Nyquist and her staff to focus on what is most important to us here at Nyquist Law Group, that is our clients and their families. Kazoua’s passion for helping others, especially those in underserved communities, has led her to pursue a degree in nursing (BSN) from the University of Alaska Anchorage. She is projected to graduate with the nursing cohort of winter 2025. Outside of the office and university, Kazoua enjoys learning new skills, traveling, cooking, camping, fishing, and annual walks for causes such as the AHA Heart Walk, Alaska Run for Women, and March of Dimes.
Connie kirchner | SENIOR PARALEGAL
Connie is a native of Pennsylvania who moved to Alaska about 35 years ago and has over 30 years of legal experience in Anchorage. She has dedicated her professional life to helping Alaskans. She has worked in the legal field in a variety of capacities and is a strong and knowledgeable advocate for her clients. Charter College provided her with a paralegal certificate and has spent much of her career working in family law. Connie is a loving grandmother to her grandchildren and has two daughters. She enjoys spending time at her cabin, snow machining, and reading when she is not advocating for clients or spending time with family.
Dane Lester | Legal Assistant
Dane is a junior at West Anchorage High School and a student of the Highly Gifted and Baccalaureate Academic Programs. He has worked for Nyquist Law Group since 2021. Dane is extremely interested in the legal field, having participated in Anchorage Youth Court and Mock Trial in the past and joining Nyquist Law Group to learn more about family law. While originally working as a file clerk, Dane’s position has grown to encompass a wide variety of legal research, exhibit preparation, and drafting. Outside of law, Dane enjoys participating in his school’s Drama, Debate, and Forensics team, playing the piano and viola, and spending time outdoors.
