Craig McClellan has obtained more than 150 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, and Lawyer of the Year for Personal Injury and Product Liability five times, 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

• Car Accident
• Truck Accident
• Motorcycle Accident
• Pedestrian Accident
• Serious Injury
• Wrongful Death
• Product Liability
• Business Litigation
• Insurance Claims Practices

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

• 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

• Only San Diego attorney to be invited to the Inner Circle of Advocates
• Named as Super Lawyers, Number One attorney in San Diego, 2019
• Rated 10.0 out of 10.0 "Superb" on Avvo
• Best Lawyers Lawyer of the Year for Personal Injury & Product Liability Five Times
• Outstanding Trial Lawyer Award from the Consumer Attorneys of San Diego
• America's Top 100 Attorneys: Lifetime Achivement Recipient
• "Transcript 10 Top Attorney" by San Diego Daily Transcript
• One of the "Best Lawyers" in 2012 by San Diego Metro
• Named to the Super Lawyers list for 15 consecutive years
• Named as one of the "Best Attorneys" by the Los Angeles Times
• Names a Tier 1 Plaintiffs Personal INjury firm by U.S. News and World Report
• Names one of the 2015 Top Lawyers in Business Litigation by San Diego Magazine
• Inducted into the San Diego Trial Lawyers Hall of Fame
• Inducted into the Lawdragon Hall of Fame

• 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

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