Dan Kelly

Daniel J. Kelly is a retired partner from the San Francisco firm of Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger where he specialized in representing plaintiffs in personal injury litigation and the mediation of personal injury cases. Mr. Kelly is a past president of the San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association, and is a member of the American College of Trial Lawyers, the American Board of Trial Advocates, the International Academy of Trial Lawyers and in 2003 was President of the International Society of Barristers. For years he co-authored the Rutter Group’s three volume Personal Injury Practice Guide.

Articles written by this author:

Smoking justice

Clients and their attorneys should conduct themselves in trial as if they are under surveillance because, in a very real sense, they are

Dan Kelly

2022 February

A few favorite opinions and a famous footnote

“If I were to remain silent, I’d be guilty of complicity.” — Albert Einstein

Dan Kelly

2022 February

Lessons learned from a judge and a great trial lawyer

Dan Kelly

2022 March

Avoid being “small towned” in a small town

“I hate small towns because once you’ve seen the cannon in the park there’s nothing else to do.” — Lenny Bruce

Dan Kelly

2022 April

Racehorse trainers and trial lawyers

In order to win, having the Big Horse or the Big Case is necessary but not sufficient

Dan Kelly

2022 May

“Lasching” out loud

Legal writing can best be described as persuasive legal and factual storytelling, and Edward Lascher’s writ-ing was genius

Dan Kelly

2022 June

Ready for the defense

“It has been said that at the end of the day, every lawyer is human. What about during the day?” — paraphrasing Stephen Colbert

Dan Kelly

2022 September

Devotion to law and motion

Whoever said “rules are made to be broken” never knew Judge Ira Brown or his local rules

Dan Kelly

2022 November

Judicial humor

“I was married by a judge. I should have asked for a jury.” — Groucho Marx

Dan Kelly

2023 January