Rob was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. Rob began his legal career as a trial lawyer at his father’s law firm of, Cartwright, Slobodin, Bokelman, Borowsky, Wartnick, Moore & Harris, Inc. He founded his own practice in 1996, and The Cartwright Law Firm, Inc., as it currently exists, has been together since 2001. Throughout Rob’s life, he has been extremely athletic and adventurous. Rob is a former marathoner and accomplished tri-athlete that completed the Alcatraz Tri-Athlon and ran his best marathon in 2hrs 53min. Rob also was a Formula Ford and Formula Mazda race car driver and set the track and qualifying record at Thunder Hill Race Track in Northern California (these records were never broken until the track was recently reconfigured). Additionally, Rob finished 2nd and 3rd in the SCCA Regional Championships in 1995 and 1996, respectively. Rob is also a motorcycle enthusiast and owns three Triumphs. Rob enjoys water recreational sports and is an avid boater and jet skier. He is an experienced mountaineer and has trekked extensively throughout the Himalayas, including Mt. Everest.
Education: Rob received his J.D., in 1982 from Golden Gate University, School of Law. While at Golden Gate Law School, Rob served as the Research Coordinator Editor for the California Tort Reporter for two years. Rob graduated from the University of Puget Sound in 1979 and received a B.A. in Psychology. Rob was also a member of Theta Chi fraternity.
Legal Commentary: Rob is occasionally featured as a legal commentator for FOX National News.
Areas of Experience: Rob has extensive experience in personal injury and products liability actions and successfully tried dozens of such cases over the last several decades. Rob is currently heading the Vioxx Litigation and Helios Air Disaster Litigation and is a member of Plaintiff’s Steering Committee for the California Consolidated Vioxx actions. He also has considerable expertise in the areas of personal injury, auto accidents, wrongful death, premises liability, toxic torts, business/contract actions, wills and trust disputes and Jones Act related suits.
Affiliations: Consumer Attorneys of California (CAOC), American Association for Justice (AAJ), and the Western Trial Lawyers Association.
Current Positions: Rob is the immediate past President of the San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association (SFTLA). He sits on the Board of Governors for both the American Association for Justice (AAJ) and the Consumer Attorneys of California (CAOC). Rob has also been serving as the Honorary Consul General of Iceland since 1996.
Past Positions of Note: Rob has served as the President of the Western Trial Lawyers Association (2006), Rob has served as the President of the Consumer Attorneys of California (2002), President Barristers Club of San Francisco (1990) and served on the Faculty at The University of San Francisco, School of Law in the Intensive Advocacy Workshop Program (1996).
Other Honors: Rob was selected as a “Northern California Super Lawyer” for 14 years in a row; Rob received recognition as Finalist for National Trial Lawyer of the Year (2002); Rob received recognition as a Finalist for California Trial Lawyer of the Year (2003); Rob received recognition as Finalist for San Francisco Trial Lawyer of the Year (2003, 2004, 2005); Rob received the ORT Jurisprudence Award (2002); Rob received the National “Joe Tonahill” Award (2004). Rob is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), which is the foremost respected group in America for trial experience. He also recently received the “Robert E. Cartwright Sr.” Award for trial advocacy and teaching trial advocacy to fellow lawyers.
PUBLISHED WORKS
Author, “Talk to My Lawyer… Answers to your frequently asked questions”
Editor-in-Chief, Consumer Attorneys of California Forum Magazine, 1996
“Economically Processing the Personal Injury Law Suit”
“Response to Attorney General Meese’s Comments to Changes to the Tort System,”, (Co-Author), San Francisco Barrister Law Journal
“How to Prepare for, Take and Use a Deposition”, (Co-Author with Robert E. Benson and John C. Tredennick, Jr., TRIAL MAGAZINE, 1991
“Strategies and Techniques for Successful Discovery Informal Discovery”
“Adverse Party Depositions: Strategies that Make a Difference”
CLASSES/SEMINARS
Lecturer, USF School of Law 1996 Intensive Advocacy Workshop Program
Speaker, “Trends in Sports Tort; Which Way is the Ball Bouncing”, CAOC Annual Convention (1996) “Wide World of Sports Torts” Program, 1996
Invited Speaker, “Demonstrative Evidence”, AAJ/CAOC Program at Golden Gate University School of Law, San Francisco
Invited Speaker, “Wrongful Death of a Child”, Louisiana Trial Lawyers Association, 1998
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS AND MEMBERSHIPS
Consumer Attorneys of California, President, 2001 2002Barristers Club of San Francisco, President, 1989 1990State Bar of California, MemberAmerican Bar Association, MemberSan Francisco Trial Lawyers Association, MemberCalifornia Trial Lawyers Association, MemberAmerican Association for Justice, MemberSan Francisco Lawyers Club, MemberAmerican Association for Justice (AAJ), Member, Board of GovernorsCalifornia Trial Lawyers Association, Member, Board of GovernorsSan Francisco Trial Lawyers Association, Member, Board of GovernorsBar Association of San Francisco, Member, Judicial Review Committee, 1989San Francisco American Inn of Court, Member, 1989AAJ Products Liability Advisory Committee, Member, 1989 1990AAJ Membership Committee, MemberAAJ State Support Committee, Member, 1989 1990Products Liability and Consumer Law Committee of the Tort, Vice-ChairpersonAmerican Bar Association, Insurance Practice Section, Vice-ChairpersonMinorities in the Profession Committee of the ABA Young Lawyers Division, Member, Executive CommitteeThe State Bar of California for the Bar Association of San Francisco, Chair of the Subcommittee on Evidence for the Conference of Delegates, 1990Legal Frontiers and Issues on Appeal for the Annual CTLA Convention 1990, Chair/Moderator, 1990Barristers Club of San Francisco, Chair, Nominating Committee Board of Directors, 1990AAJ Ambassadors Committee, Member, 1990 1991AAJ California Project Committee, Member, 1990 1991BASF on Judicial Evaluation Committee, Chair, Member of Committee1991 Program Young Lawyers into the ’90s CTLA Tahoe Convention, ModeratorBar Association of San Francisco Delegation to the State Bar of California Conference of Delegates, Member, Executive CommitteeCalifornia Trial Lawyers Association, San Francisco Board, Member, Recognition of Experienced Program CommitteeCTLA to the AAJ Liaison Committee, Chair, 1992TIPS Committee on Membership, Chair-Elect, 1992 1993AAJ Public Relations Committee, Member, 1992 1993AAJ, Member, Key Person Committee, 1992 PresentAAJ, Member, Joint Membership Development Committee
San Francisco Personal Injury Attorney Robert E. Cartwright Jr. - The Cartwright Law Firm, Inc.
EDUCATION
Golden Gate University School of Law, San Francisco, California
J.D. 1982
Honors: Research Coordinator Editor, California Tort Reporter, 1981 and 1982
University of Puget Sound
B.A. 1979
Honors: Member, Theta Chi fraternity
Major: Psychology
AREAS OF PRACTICE
Personal Injury
Products Liability Actions
Auto Accidents
Wrongful Death
Premises Liability
Toxic Torts
Business/Contract Actions
Wills and Trust Disputes
Jones Act
HONORS AND AWARDS
PersonWho’s Who in the World, Twelfth Edition, 1995 1996International Who’s Who, 1994Who’s Who in American Law, 10th Edition, 1998 1999National Registry of Who’s Who, 2000 Edition, 2000Membership, Million Dollar Advocates Forum, 19992002 Jurisprudence Award Honoree, awarded by American ORT, 2002Finalist for “Trial Lawyer of the Year Award 2001” Awarded by the Trial Lawyers for Public Justice“Presidential Award of Merit” from Consumer Attorneys of California, 2001“F. Scott Baldwin Award for Trial Advocacy” from the New Lawyers Division of AAJ, 2001American Bar Association, YLD Award of Achievement for Outstanding Activities and Accomplishments, 1989 1990Presidents Award for Outstanding Dedication and Service as AAJ Board of Governor, 1991 1992Consumer Attorneys of California Presidents Award, 1995 1996Northern California Super Lawyer, 2019Finalist for National Trial Lawyer of the Year, 2002Finalist for California Trial Lawyer of the Year, 2003Finalist for San Francisco Trial Lawyer of the Year, 2003 2005ORT Jurisprudence Award, 2002National “Joe Tonahill” Award, 2004Received the “Robert E. Cartwright Sr.” Award for Trial Advocacy and Teaching Trial Advocacy to Fellow LawyersProclamation of Robert E. Cartwright, Jr. DayStatute of Limitations Extended InjuryProducts Liability ActionsAuto AccidentsWrongful DeathPremises LiabilityToxic TortsBusiness/Contract ActionsWills and Trust DisputesJones Act
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS AND MEMBERSHIPS
AAJ, Member, NCA Foundation Board Committee, 1992 1993Balmoral Capital Corporation, Board of Directors, 1995AAJ Civil Justice Foundation, Trustee, 1995 1996Expert Witness Certificate Program at Cal State Long Beach, Advisory Board Member, 1997TLPJ Foundation, Membership Committee, 1997 1998World Affairs Council of Northern California, Member, 1998The diversity of Law Foundation, Member, Board of Directors, 1998CAOC Diversity in Law Committee, Member and Secretary, 1998Western Trial Lawyers Association, Board Member, 1998 1999Trial Lawyers for Public Justice, Member, 1985 PresentProfessor Thomas F. Lambert, Jr. Chair, MemberAmerican Bar Association, Tort and Insurance Practice Section, Member, Editorial Board of The Brief, 1989 1990Barrister Law Journal, a Publication of the Barristers Club of San Francisco, Immediate Past Editor-in-Chief/Current EditorSyllabus Editor, California Trial Lawyers l987 Midwinter Convention at Lake TahoeABA, Product, General Liability and Consumer Law Division of the Tort and Insurance Practice Section, Vice Chairperson, 1987ABA, Professional Independence, and Responsibility of the Lawyer Division of the Tort and Insurance Practice Section, Vice Chairperson, 1987San Francisco Barrister Law Journal, Managing Editor, 1988AAJ, Chairperson, Law Student Committee, 1987 19881987 AAJ Annual Convention, Co-ChairpersonAAJ, Chairperson, Young Lawyer Recruitment Committee, 1987At-Large of the AAJ Amicus Curiae Committee, Member, 1986 1987PAC-Drive Participant, 1987 1988PAC-Drive Participant, 1989AAJ, Member, Historical Committee, 1988 1989
