Craig R. McClellan
Founding Partner
Craig McClellan has obtained more than 145 verdicts and settlements in excess of one million dollars, and is a three-time recipient of the "Outstanding Trial Lawyer Award" from the Consumer Attorneys of San Diego for cases in which million and multi-million dollar verdicts were obtained. He is the first and only personal injury attorney in San Diego selected for admission to the Inner Circle of Advocates, a prestigious invitation-only group of top plaintiff's attorneys, limited to 100 members nationwide. One of his final arguments is featured in Million Dollar Arguments.
Associations & Memberships
He is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates, where he served as President of the San Diego Chapter. He is also a Master of the American Inns of Court, and a former Member of the Board of Directors of the San Diego Chapter of the Association of Business Trial Lawyers. Craig has the distinction of being voted by his peers as one of the Best Lawyers in America, as well as the Number 1 attorney by Super Lawyer" for San Diego. In addition to these recognitions, Craig earned a 10/10 "Superb" Avvo rating and was named one of 2015's Top Lawyers in San Diego in Business Litigation by San Diego Magazine.
Public Appearances
He has appeared on public radio and television programs, including 60 Minutes, 20/20, and the McNeil-Lehrer Report. One of his cases is featured in No Contest by Ralph Nader and Wesley J. Smith. Craig has focused his career on complex, high stakes litigation. His cases include catastrophic personal injury and product liability cases as well as business and intellectual property litigation.
Education & Early Career
He began his practice of law with Luce Forward Hamilton & Scripps, eventually starting his own firm, now known as The McClellan Law Firm. He was a Captain in the United States Marine Corps and graduated from California Western School of Law.
Watch our video to get to know Attorney Craig McClellan.
Areas of Practice
Bar Admissions
- California
- U.S. District Court Northern District of California
- U.S. District Court Central District of California
- U.S. District Court Southern District of California
- U.S. District Court Eastern District of California
- U.S. Supreme Court
Education
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California Western School of Law, San Diego, California
- J.D., Doctor of Jurisprudence magna cum laude - 1976
- Honors: Editor-in-Chief, California Western Law Review
-
University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon
- B.S., Bachelor of Science - 1969
Past Employment Positions
- Luce, Forward, Hamilton & Scripps, Partner, 1976 - 1986
- Oil Policy Subcommittee Cost of Living Council, Executive Office of the President, Washington, D.C., Director, 1972 - 1973
- United States Marine Corps, Captain, 1969 - 1972
Published Works
- Physicians' Liability: The Sale and Insertion of A Dalkon Shield, 11 California Western Law Review 347, 1975
- Garrison v. Porsche, Professional Techniques Library, Million Dollar Arguments, 1983
- The Honda ATC and Other Dangerous All-Terrain Vehicles, Trial Bar News, San Diego Trial Lawyers Association, May, 1985
Honors and Awards
- Inducted into the Consumer Attorneys of San Diego Trial Lawyer Hall of Fame, 2021
- Recognized by LexisNexis® Martindale-Hubbell® as an AV Preeminent® Peer Review Rated Lawyer, 2020
- 10/10 "Superb" Avvo Rating
- Best Lawyers, Lawyer Of The Year, Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs, San Diego, 2014
- Best Lawyers, Lawyer Of The Year, Product Liability Litigation - Plaintiffs, San Diego, 2012, 2014 & 2019
- Named as Super Lawyers, Number One attorney in San Diego, 2019
- Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyer, 2019
- TopVerdict 2019 Top 10 medical malpractice settlements in California, securing a $9,000,000 settlement for a client.
- TopVerdict 2018 Top 10 premises liability settlements in California, securing a $3,175,850 settlement for a client.
- Three-time recipient of the Outstanding Trial Lawyer Award Winner, Consumer Attorneys of San Diego
- America’s Top 100 Attorneys: Lifetime Achievement Recipient
- Selected as one of The Best Lawyers in America, 1993 - 2022
- Profiled in American Lawyer Magazine
- Selected as one of Lawdragon's Top 500 Plaintiff's Lawyers in the Country
- Named one of the Best Attorneys in the Los Angeles Area by the Los Angeles Times
- Recipient of the Daniel T. Broderick III Award for Civility, Integrity and Professionalism
- 2015 Top Lawyer in San Diego for Business Litigation, by San Diego Magazine
- Modern Luxury San Diego Men of Vision
- America's Top 100 High Stakes Litigators for 2019
Professional Associations and Memberships
- Board of Directors, California Western School of Law (2017- present)
- Master, American Inns of Court, Enright Chapter, President 2018-2020 and Board member 2016- present
- American Association for Justice, Sustaining Member
- Inner Circle of Advocates, Member
- American Board of Trial Advocates, Member, Board of Directors (1983 - 1990)
- American College of Trial Lawyers, Fellow
- American Inns of Court, William B. Enright Chapter, Master
- Association of Business Trial Lawyers, Member, Board of Directors (2005 - 2007)
- Attorneys Information Exchange Group, Member
- Consumer Attorneys of California, Sustaining Member, Board of Directors (1985 -1987)
- Consumer Attorneys of San Diego, Member, Board of Directors (1983 -1990), Officer (1987 -1988)
- State Bar of California, Member
- American Society of Legal Advocates
