Elinor Leary is a partner at the Veen Firm and the team leader of the Leary Trial Team which handles complex cases that involve life-altering injuries or death. The Leary Trial Team has expertise with cases that involve construction and worksite injuries, defective products, dangerous property conditions, negligent security, car and truck collisions, and incidents that involve pedestrians and bicyclists. Elinor has tried cases to verdict as well as reached large settlements in numerous other cases, including cases listed in The Recorder’s “Top Settlements” publications.

The Leary Trial Team provides extensive knowledge of the civil justice system and a commitment to helping clients when they face difficult times after a catastrophe. We help clients who have suffered fractures, amputations, head injuries, brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, and burn injuries. We also help families who have lost loved ones due to the fault of others in wrongful death actions. We have experience helping construction workers, laborers, truck drivers, union members, and other professionals and their families.

In addition to handling cases from start to finish, the Leary Trial Team also serves as trial counsel when colleagues call for last-minute help. Elinor has been a clinical professor at the University of San Francisco School of Law, where she taught advanced law students case investigation, courtroom advocacy, jury selection, and trial skills.

Elinor believes in giving back to the community and devotes time to pro bono service for the San Francisco and Bay Area communities. Her pro bono work was previously recognized with nominations for the State Bar of California President’s Pro Bono Service Award and Jack Berman Award of Achievement.

Elinor enjoys travel, and lived for a time in Mexico City. She speaks Spanish fluently. She lives in San Francisco where she enjoys time spent with family and friends, preferably outdoors.

Areas of Practice

  • Construction Accidents
  • Workplace Injuries
  • Personal Injury Accidents
  • Dangerous Property
  • Defective Products

Bar Admissions

  • California, 2003
  • U.S. District Court Northern District of California
  • United States Supreme Court

Education

  • University of San Francisco School of Law, San Francisco, California
    J.D. – 2003
    Honors: Advocate of the Year
    Honors: Edward J. McFetridge Award for Excellence in Advocacy
    Honors: Public Interest Law Foundation, Member
    Honors: Women’s Law Association, Member
  • American University, Washington, D.C.
    B.A.
    Major: Law and Society
    Major: Literature

Published Works

  • Mediation in the face of a workers’ compensation lien, August 01, 2018
  • Let Your Case Speak For Itself, Make the doctrine of res ipsa loquitur work for you, January 01, 2015
  • Protecting Immigrant Clients From Having Their Cases Undervalued: Immigration Status Should Not Interfere With a Damages’ Suit, December 01, 2013
  • Waging War in the Courtroom and at Appeal, December 01, 2012
  • Putting the Best Face on Your Client – “Warts and All”, December 01, 2011
  • “Criminal” Torts – Maximizing Your Client’s Recovery Through Effective Use of Victim Restitution, August 01, 2011
  • Products Liability: The Manufacturer’s Insurer as a Defendant, January 01, 2011

Classes/Seminars

  • Bar Association of San Francisco, Women in Trial, Invited Faculty, February 2021
  • Western Trial Lawyers Association, Jackson Hole, Wyoming, Invited Speaker, March 2020
  • Western Trial Lawyers Association, Park City, Utah, Invited Speaker, February 2019
  • CAOC Palm Springs Seminar, Trial Skills: What The Howell – Roundtable Discussion Of Howell, Sanchez And Pebley’s Impact On Your Trial, Invited Speaker, May 3 – May 5, 2019
  • University of San Francisco School of Law, Intensive Advocacy Program, Co-Director, 2017-present
  • CAOC Don Galine Travel Seminar, Trying The Multi-Employer Construction Site Case, Speaker, November 2018
  • San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association, Choosing the Right Expert, Speaker, November 28, 2017
  • San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association, Trial Boot Camp Series Being Real – How to Talk to Jurors in Voir Dire, Faculty, May 24, 2016
  • CAOC, Sonoma Seminar “What’s Trending Now”, Panel Moderator, April 2016
    SFTLA, Tahoe Shred, “Jury Selection”, Speaker, January 2016
  • University of San Francisco School of Law, Intensive Advocacy Program, Faculty, May 2015
  • University of San Francisco School of Law, Criminal and Juvenile Justice Clinic, “Jury Selection”, Lecturer, April 2015
  • University of San Francisco School of Law, Criminal and Juvenile Justice Clinic, “Jury Selection”, Lecturer, November 2014
  • University of San Francisco School of Law, Criminal and Juvenile Justice Clinic, “Jury Selection”, Lecturer, April 2014
  • University of San Francisco School of Law Chapter of the American Inn of Court, “Jury Voir Dire: The Challenges of Eliciting Vital Information”, Speaker, March 2014
  • University of San Francisco School of Law, Clinical professor

Honors and Awards

  • Fellow, Litigation Counsel of America
  • Irish Legal 100
  • Selected by peers to The Best Lawyers in America – US News & World Report, 2016 – Present
  • Consumer Attorneys of California’s Presidential Award of Merit, 2018
  • Selected to the Northern California Super Lawyers List, 2014-present – Top 5% of attorneys, as voted by peers
  • The Recorder’s California’s Top Verdicts and Settlements of 2016 – Raul Zuniga v. Zambini Brothers Scaffolding Company
  • American Institute of Personal Injury Attorneys 10 Best Female Attorneys in California, 2016
  • Selected to the Northern California Super Lawyers Rising Stars List
  • Rated AV-Preeminent for Ethical Standards & Ability – Martindale-Hubbell
  • Selected to the Top 50 Northern California Female Lawyers (Super Lawyers)
  • Selected to the Top Northern California Female Lawyers (Super Lawyers)
  • Two settlements honored in California’s Top Settlements, The Recorder – Doe v. Roe Driver & Duenas v. Carter
  • Nominated for the State Bar of California President’s Pro Bono Service Award, 2008
  • Nominated for the Jack Berman Award of Achievement, 2008

Professional Associations and Memberships

  • American Association for Justice, Member
  • American Bar Association, Member
  • Bar Association of San Francisco, Member – Lawyer Referral and Information Service
  • Consumer Attorneys of California, Board Member, Board of Governors at Large for the Northern District
  • San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association, Member
  • University of San Francisco, School of Law, Board of Governors
  • The Justice & Diversity Center of the Bar Association of San Francisco (BASF), Board of Directors, 2017-2019
  • Litigation Counsel of America, Fellow
  • Public Justice, Member
  • California Women Lawyers

Past Employment Positions

  • Alameda County Public Defender, Associate Deputy Public Defender

Pro Bono Activities

  • Food From the Bar, San Francisco and Marin Food Banks, Volunteer
  • GAAP, Past Volunteer
  • La Casa de las Madres — Past Volunteer
  • Voter protection volunteer 2018

Languages

  • Spanish