Kristen S. Steinke

Kristen S. Steinke

Kristen Steinke is a Partner at Burke, Williams & Sorensen.  Kristen currently serves as the City Attorney for the City of Lemon Grove.  Kristen previously assisted the City of San Marcos, the City of San Diego, the City of National City, the City of Carlsbad and other public agencies as Special Counsel.  Kristen’s practice centers on real property-related litigation, eminent domain, inverse condemnation, land use and municipal law.  She represents public entities, land-owners, developers, businesses of all sizes, contractors, subcontractors and, others in a wide variety of development-related matters.

Kristen earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of California, Santa Barbara, in 2001 and thereafter moved to Washington, D.C. to work for the U.S. Senate.  In 2007 she earned her law degree from Whittier Law School and discovered an interest in municipal law, land use practice and civil litigation.

Kristen is the immediate past President of the City Attorney’s Association of San Diego.  She was the Chair of the Eminent Domain Section of the San Diego County Bar Association from 2013 to 2015 and again served as Chair between 2018 and 2021.  She is a member of the State Bar of California and is the immediate past Chair of the Escondido Chamber of Commerce.  Native to San Diego, Kristen enjoys golf, hiking and spending time with her husband and two young daughters.

  • J.D., Whittier Law School, 2007
  • B.A., Political Science, University of California, Santa Barbara, 2001
  • State Bar of California
  • United States District Court for the Southern District of California
  • San Diego County Bar Association, Member and Chair of Eminent Domain Section
  • City Attorneys Association of San Diego County, immediate past President