John

K.

Karanian

Executive Vice President/Shareholder

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Family Law Matters

Biography

John K. Karanian is Executive Vice President and Shareholder at Barnes & Diehl, PC who has focused his practice on family law matters since 2004. He is a former practicing forensic and clinical psychologist with the Central Intelligence Agency. Mr. Karanian has been voted a Virginia Super Lawyers© Virginia Rising Star 8 years in a row from 2015-2022.

Professional Associations

Virginia State Bar
Virginia State Bar, Family Law Section
Metropolitan Richmond Family Law Bar Association
Virginia Trial Lawyers Association
Metro Richmond Bar Association, Judiciary Committee (2009)
Chesterfield County Bar Association
Fellow, American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (Chicago, IL) 2023

Published Works

"Frequent Childhood Moves - Poorer Quality of Life," Virginia Family Law News, Volume 31, No. 1, Spring Issue (2011)
"Do You Really Want to Put the Child on the Stand?," John Karanian & Michael HuYoung, Esquire, Virginia Bar Association News Journal (Focus on Family Law), Volume 35, No. 4, Winter Issue (2009)
"Challenging Expert Testimony About Child Sexual Abuse," John Karanian, Virginia State Bar, Family Law News, Volume 25, No. 4, Winter Issue (2005)
"Assessing Elopement Risk from a Forensic Hospital," Greg Wolber & John Karanian, Journal of Forensic Psychology (2002)
"The Relationship Between Depression and Self-Efficacy in a Sample of Sheltered Homeless Adults," John Karanian, Doctoral Dissertation (1997)

Honors

Selected to Virginia Super Lawyer, by Richmond Magazine Law & Politics (2015-Present)
Voted a Rising Star Super Lawyer in Virginia, by Richmond Magazine Law & Politics
All-American Scholar Award, United States Achievement Academy (1992)
The Best Lawyers in America Family Law (2019-current)
Fellow, American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (Chicago, IL)

Classes & Seminars

“Come Play the Family Feud”, 5th Annual Beach Bar Conference, Moderator, 2016.
“Mental Health Issues in Family Law”, National Business Institute, Continuing Education Seminar, October, 22, 2014.
“Sexual Abuse in Family Law Cases”, Virginia CLE, July 28, 2009.
“Selecting a Qualified Expert”, 8th Annual Advanced Guardian Ad Litem for Children Seminar: What GAL’s Need to Know about Child Custody Evaluations, December 12, 2006 (with Arnold Stolberg Ph.D.).
“Legal Ethics for the Criminal Practitioner” Virginia Trial Lawyer’s Association, VTLA’s Annual Criminal Law Seminar, October 28, 2004 (presentation by Michael HuYoung & outline by John Karanian).
“Stalking”, Central Intelligence Agency, Washington, DC (08/10/00).
“The Clinical Assessment of Malingering,” Institute of Law, Psychiatry, & Public Policy, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia (06/09/99).
“The Multiphasic Sex Inventory and Assessment of Sex Offenders” Central State Hospital, Petersburg, Virginia (04/29/99).
“Sex Offender: Pedophilia,” Forensic Evaluation Seminar, Department of Psychiatry, Medical College of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia (08/21/98).

Past Positions

Central Intelligence Agency, Washington, DC, Clinical Psychologist (2000-2001)
Riverside Regional Jail/Liberty Forensic Unit, Hopewell, Virginia, Forensic Psychologist (1999-2000)
Central State Hospital, Maximum Security Forensic Unit, Petersburg, Virginia, Forensic Evaluation Team & Psychologist Senior (1997-1999)
United States Department of Justice, Bureau of Prisons, Federal Correctional Institution, Butner, North Carolina, Psychology Intern (1996-1997)

Certified Legal Specialties

Certified Sex Offender Treatment Provider, Virginia (December 4, 1998 - June 30, 2012)
Virginia Licensed Clinical Psychologist

Education

University of Richmond, School of Law, Richmond, Virginia
- J.D. - 2004
University of Hartford, West Hartford, CT
- Psy.D. - 1997
- Major: Clinical Psychology
Georgetown University, Washington, DC
- B.A.
- Major: Psychology

Bar Admissions

Virginia, 2004
Virginia Supreme Court
Court of Appeals of Virginia