Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger
650 California St., 26th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94108
(415) 981-7210 www.WalkupLawOffice.com
Widely recognized for her legal work and for becoming the 106th President of the San Francisco Bar Association, Ms. Cheng has been ranked as one of the top 50 women lawyers in Northern California.
She is listed among the Best Lawyers of America®, SuperLawyers®, and San Francisco Best Lawyers. Specializing in complex injuries caused by third-party negligence, Ms. Cheng has obtained multi-million dollar settlements and verdicts on behalf of disabled citizens throughout California.
She completed a $13,500,000 settlement on behalf of 60-year-old gentleman who suffered severe brain damage due to carbon monoxide poisoning; a $6,800,000 award on behalf of a mother and her child for birth injuries resulting in hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy to the child; and a global $14,250,000 settlement on behalf of a 45-year-old man who suffered severe burn injuries in an industrial accident.
A frequent guest lecturer and adjunct professor, Ms. Cheng has trained lawyers and judges nationally and internationally. As part of the Rule of Law Initiative, she has had the privilege of training trial lawyers and judges in Mexico, Kosovo, and Macedonia. She has also collaborated and trained with civil practitioners in Singapore and Belfast. This past year, she led trial skills training for criminal prosecution offices in Glasgow, Scotland and multiple Caribbean countries.
Ms. Cheng is also the Program Director of the National Institute for Trial Advocacy’s Western Region Advocacy Teacher Training Program. In 2012, she was awarded the Robert E. Keeton Award for outstanding service by the National Institute for Trial Advocacy. She is the 2015 recipient of the University of San Francisco Professional Achievement Award.
Ms. Cheng is involved in local bar associations and community organizations. She is the current President (former Secretary) of the San Francisco Bar Association and immediate Past President of the San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association. She is a former Chair of the Civility Matters! Program and current national representative for the American Board of Trial Advocates (San Francisco Chapter). She is a member of the American College of Trial Lawyers. She serves on the Kaiser Arbitration Oversight Board.
She is a co-author of the eminent Rutter Group California Practice Guide on Personal Injury, and the trial practice guide, Mastering the Mechanics of Civil Jury Trials. Following the induction of new Fellows of The American College of Trial Lawyers, Doris Cheng gave a speech to all the new inductees about being awarded such an elite honor.
LAW SCHOOL AND TEACHING AFFILIATIONS NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF TRIAL ATTORNEYS Program Director, Advocacy Teacher Training Program Director, International Training (Kosovo & Macedonia in connection with the U.S. Department of Justice) Faculty, Solicitor Advocates Training, Belfast, UK Faculty, Trial Skills & Deposition Training Programs (public, private and government programs) University of San Francisco School of Law Board of Counselors, 2011 present Board of Governors, 2003 2006 Intensive Advocacy Program, Executive Committee & Faculty, 1999 to present Intensive Advocacy Program, Co-Director, 2005 Coach, Thomas Tang Moot Court Competition (4 teams for USF), 2004 EMORY UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW Kessler-Eidson Trial Techniques Program, Faculty 2003-2008, 2011 UC BERKELEY, BOALT HALL Adjunct Professor, 2010-2011 UNIVERSITY OF SAN DIEGO SCHOOL OF LAW Advocacy Training, Mexicali, Mexico (in connection with USAID grant), 2010 LOWELL HIGH SCHOOL (SAN FRANCISCO) Coach, Mock Trial Team, 2010 present
COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES Girls Basketball Coach Cornerstone Academy (8th grade), 1995 Notre Dames des Victoires (5th through 8th grade), 1999 2002 Lowell High School, Summer Clinic (JV and Varsity), 2003 BCSFYAO (5th and 6th grade), 2004 2006 ST. Patrick (Catholic Youth Organization) (5th through 7th grade), 2007 2009 Cooperative Restraining Order Clinic, 1997 2000 Log Cabin Ranch Gardening Project (SF Youth Guidance Center), Volunteer, 2014
Year Joined Firm 1998
Published Works Damages Presentation: Finding Memorable Imagery and Vignettes, American Association of Justice, January 2012 Impact Direct Examination, Consumer Attorneys of California, March 2009 “Cross Examination,”, Consumer Attorneys of California 46th Annual Conference, November, 2007 “Working with Economists on Personal Injury Damages”, National Business Institute, November, 2007 “Persuasive Speaking in the Courtroom”, San Francisco Trail Lawyers Association , April, 2007 Direct Examinations, USF School of Law Intensive Advocacy Program, April 2006 California Uninsured Motorist Practice, Continuing Education of the Bar, 2005 Opening Statements: Making First and Lasting Impressions, San Francisco Trail Lawyers Association, April 2005
Classes/Seminars Bar Association of San Francisco, Litigation Section, Tips on Picking a Jury, June 11, 2015 SFTLA Women’s Caucus, Woman Lawyer to Judge, Speaker, April 30, 2015 USF School of Law, Women’s Law Association Annual High Tea, Keynote Speaker, April 14, 2015 SFTLA, Roundtable Discussion on Economic Damages, Speaker, March 24, 2015 SFTLA, Trial Talk: Strategies from our own SFTLA Trial Masters, Speaker, March 10, 2015 Bay Area Asian Pacific American Law Students Association Conference, Moderator, Criminal Trial Attorneys Justice for All: Perspectives in Criminal Law, San Francisco, CA, February 22, 2015 SFTLA New Lawyer Division Ski Seminar, Guest Speaker, Tahoe, CA, January 30, 2015 ABOTA Masters in Trial, Cross Examination of Lay Witness, San Francisco, CA, October 24, 2014 ABOTA Masters in Trial, Closing Argument, Missoula, MT, October 17, 2014 NITA Pacific Regional Trial Skills Program, Evidence Lecture, San Diego, CA, October 12, 2014 ABOTA Civility Matters! Winning Inside & Outside the Courtroom with Civility, Golden Gate University, October 8, 2014 NITA National Session, Closing Argument Lecture, Boulder, CO, July 27, 2014 ABOTA Civility Matters! Winning Inside & Outside the Courtroom with Civility, USF School of Law, May 21, 2014 Program Directory, Delaware DOJ Trial Skills Training Program, Wilmington, DE, March 5-7, 2014 Guest Speaker, Ski Seminar, Western Trial Lawyers Association, Lake Tahoe, CA, March 1, 2014 After Howell & Corenbaum: Presenting Damages without the Collateral Source Rule, SFTLA, February 4, 2014 Civility Matters! Winning Inside & Outside the Courtroom with Civility, ABOTA USF School of Law, January 13, 2014 Lecturer on Voir Dire, NITA Southern California Regional Trial Skills Program, Los Angeles, CA, January 6, 2014 Lecturer on the Use of Exhibits, NITA Southern California Regional Trial Skills Program, Los Angeles, CA , January 3, 2014 Personal Injury Update, The Rutter Group, San Francisco & Los Angeles, December 3 & 5 Faculty, Direct Examination, Stanford Mock Trial Training, November 2, 2013 Speaker, Effective Advocacy at Mediation, BASF, October 31, 2013 Civility Matters! Winning Inside & Outside the Courtroom with Civility, ABOTA, NITA San Diego, CA, October 27, 2013 Civility Matters! Winning Inside & Outside the Courtroom with Civility, ABOTA, Golden Gate University, October 9, 2012 October 9, 2013 Speaker, Avoiding Malpractice: 10 Critical Junctures Where Mistakes Can Happen, BASF, October 3, 2013 Speaker, Trail Skills Series II (Depositions), SFTLA, September 24, 2013 High Stakes Jury Selection (Seminar Web Live! national webinar), September 19, 2013 Presenter, Don Galine Masters Seminar: Advanced Discovery Techniques, San Mateo Trial Lawyers Association, September 17, 2013 Guest Lecturer “Use of Storytelling in Trial”, USF Intensive Advocacy Program, May 31, 2013 Civility Matters! Winning Inside & Outside the Courtroom with Civility, ABOTA, Palo Alto Bar Association , April 11, 2013 Civility Matters! Winning Inside & Outside the Courtroom with Civility, ABOTA, Santa Clara Law School, March 21, 2013 Judge, National Ethics Trial Competition, Sacramento, CA, March 15, 2013 Moderator & Presenter “Presenting Damages in a Post-Howell World”, SFTLA, San Franciso, CA, February 19, 2013 Personal Injury Update, The Rutter Group, San Francisco & Los Angeles, November 27 & 29, 2012 Speaker, Serving Justice With Strained BudgetsPerspectives from On and Off the Bench, BASF Annual Bench Bar Conference, November 15, 2012 Presenter, Questioning Techniques for Deposition, USF Inn of Court, November 14, 2012 Co-Presenter “Accident Reconstruction/Computer Simulation”, ABOTA, Masters in Trial, October 26, 2012 Judge, Advocacy of the Year Competition, USF School of Law, October 6, 2012 Lecture “Opening Statements”, Advocacy Training for Solicitors, Belfast, United Kingdom, September 3, 2012 Lecture “The Ethics of Witness Preparation”, NITA Western Regional Trial Skills Program, San Francisco, CA, June 27, 2012 Lecture “Controlling the Difficult Witness”, NITA Western Regional Trial Skills Program, San Francisco, CA, June 25, 2012 Lecture, Direct and Cross of Experts, USF Intensive Advocacy Program, May 30, 2012 “Non-Economic Damages: Creating Memorable Imagery & Vignettes, AAJ Winter Convention, Phoenix, AZ, February 15, 2012 Panelist, Cross-Cultural Issues within the Practice of Law, BASF, San Francisco, CA, January 11, 2012 Lecturer on Voir Dire, NITA Southern California Regional Trial Skills Program, Los Angeles, CA, January 6, 2012 Lecturer on Closing Arguments, NITA Southern California Regional Trial Skills Program, Los Angeles, CA, January 5, 2012 Panelist, Personal Injury Update, The Rutter Group, Los Angeles, CA, December 1, 2011 Panelist Speaker, Morphing Your Case to Maximize Recovery, SFTLA, San Francisco, CA, October 11, 2011 Lecture, “The Exhibit Dance”, NITA National Session, July 26, 2011 Lecture “Experts: Selling the Science”, USF Intensive Advocacy Program, May 30, 2011 Demonstration & Lecture of Closing Arguments, Emory School of Law, Atlanta, GA, May 4, 2011 Speaker, Recorder Roundtable on Depositions:How to Take Winning Depositions, San Francisco, CA, March 23, 2011 Panelist, Personal Injury Update, The Rutter Group, Los Angeles, CA, December 2, 2010 Chair and Speaker, Expert Witness at Trial: Making the Information Jury Friendly, Mastering the Hypothetical Avoiding the Runaway Expert Witness, USF Inn of Court, May 12, 2010 Co-Chair, Navigating The Kaiser Electronic Medical Record System, SFTLA Roundtable Discussion, April 20, 2010 Speaker, Advocacy Teacher Training Seminar, University at Buffalo School of Law, March 26, 2010 Program Chair and Speaker, Advanced Settlement Techniques, SFTLA, March 9, 2010 Judge, Mock Trail Competition, Stanford Law School, February 13, 2010 Presenter, “Evidence in Economic Damages”, AAJ Winter Convention, Maui, HI, January 31, 2010 Lecturer, “Handling & Laying Foundations for Exhibits”, NITA Pacific Regional Trial Skills Program, November 1, 2009 Judge, Moot Court Competition, USF School of Law, October 10, 2009 Experts Lecture, Legal Services Corporation, Louisville, CO, October 6, 2009 Evidence and Theory Testing Lectures, NITA Northwest Regional Trial Skills Program, August 12, 2009 Voir Dire Lecture, NITA Western Regional Trial Skills Program, June 18, 2009 Regional Trial Lawyer Conference, Strategic Deposition Techniques, Squaw Creek, Olympia, CA, June 13, 2009 Lecturer, “Closing Arguments”, USF Intensive Advocacy Program, June 4, 2009 Chair & Panelist, “Evidence Advocacy”, San Francisco Trial Lawyer Association, June 2, 2006 June 2, 2009 Effective Physical Communication Strategies During Trial (Webinar Lecture Seminar Web Live!), May 27, 2009 “Impact Direct Examination”, CAOC Tahoe Ski Seminar, March 21, 2009 National Ethics Competition, Judge, Sacramento, CA, March 20, 2009 Stanford Law School Mock Trial Invitational, Judge, January 24, 2009 Evaluating and Advocating Your Settlement, CAOC 47th Annual Conference, November 8, 2008 Chair & Panelist, SFTLA, Medicine for Jurors, October 14, 2008 “Direct & Cross of Expert Witnesses”, Department of Homeland Security In-house Advocacy Training Program, Louisville, CO, 07/2008 Lectures: “Closing Argument” and “Direct & Cross of Experts”, USF Intensive Advocacy Program, 05/2008 Panelist, “Women in the Law”, USF Intensive Advocacy Program, May 21, 2008 Presenter, “Jury Selection”, NITA Southern California Trial Skills Program, 1/2008 Chair, SFTLA Roundtable on Arbitrations Issues, December 18, 2007 Chair & Panelist, “Tactical Containment of Experts”, SFTLA, December 11, 2007 Faculty & Presenter, Juvenile Court Trial Skills Program, Bar Association of San Francisco, December 1, 2007 December 3, 2007 Presenter, “Handling the Auto Case From Bumper to Bumper, Part I: Cross Examination”, CAOC 46th Annual Conference, 11/2007 Presenter, “Direct & Cross of Expert Economist” (NITA National Session), Louisville, CO, 7/2007 “Practical Tips For Communicating With The Jury”, SFTLA, April 10, 2007 “Settle or Serve”, CAOC Tahoe Ski Seminar, March 24, 2007 Panelist, 32nd Annual National Trial Competition (American College of Trial Lawyers & Texas Young Lawyers Association), February 18, 2007 Co-Presenter: “Closing Argument: The Last Word”, University of San Francisco School of Law, Intensive Advocacy Program, June 1, 2006 “Direct & Cross of Experts” University of San Francisco School of Law, Intensive Advocacy Program”, May 29, 2006 Presenter, Gaining the Competitive Edge: Litigating to Win Through Advanced Trial Advocacy in California (San Francisco), April 27, 2006 Panelist, 6th Annual Bay Area Conference, Asian Pacific American Law Students Association, February 4, 2006 Lecture, Handling Obstreperous Opposing Counsel (San Diego) Lecturer, Powerpoint for Trial Lawyers (San Francisco), 1/2006 “Preparing Expert Witnesses”, NITA National Session, 7/2005 “Direct & Cross of Experts”, University of San Francisco School of Law, Intensive Advocacy Program, 5/2005 Guest Speaker, USF School of Law Asian Pacific American Law Students Association, April 17, 2005 Lecturer, “Right to a Fair Jury Trial Despite the Media”, USF Inn of Court, April 13, 2005 Presenter, Demonstration Automobile Accident Trial, San Francisco Trial Lawyer Association, April 12, 2005 Lecturer, Powerpoint for Trial Lawyers (San Francisco), April 5, 2005 Public Interest Lawyer Advocacy Training, Trainer (San Francisco), 2/2005 “Suing and Defending the Professional,” (San Francisco), California Continuing Education of the Bar, Practicing Law Institute, 9/2004 Lecture “Effective Cross Examination”, University of San Francisco School of Law, Intensive Advocacy Program, 5/2004 “Maximizing Damages with Medical Experts”, San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association, 4/2004 Lecturer, “Legal Ethics”, NITA Advocacy Teacher Training, 5/2003 Lecturer, “Direct & Cross Examinations”, University of San Francisco School of Law, Intensive Advocacy Program, 2003 “Civil Litigation”, National Business Institute, 9/2002 Lecturer, “Direct & Cross Examinations”, University of San Francisco School of Law, Intensive Advocacy Program, 5/2002 Trial Skills Training Program, Pristina, Kosovo (U.S. Dept of Justice), 2009 Solicitors Advocates Training Program, Belfast, United Kingdom, 2008 Program Director, Advocacy Teacher Training, National Institute of Trial Attorneys Program Director, International Training (Kosovo & Macedonia-in connection with the U.S. Department of Justice), National Institute of Trial Attorneys Faculty, Solicitor Advocates Training, Belfast, UK, National Institute of Trial Attorneys Faculty Trial Skills & Deposition Training Programs (public and private programs), National Institute of Trial Attorneys Board of Counselors, University of San Francisco School of Law, 2011 Board of Governors, University of San Francisco School of Law, 2003 2006 Intensive Advocacy Program, Program Director, University of San Francisco School of Law Intensive Advocacy Program, Faculty, University of San Francisco School of Law, 1999 Present Coach, Thomas Tang Moot Court Competition (4 teams for USF), University of San Francisco School of Law Faculty, Kessler-Eidson Trail Techniques Program, Emory University School of Law, 2003-2008, 2011 Adjunct Professor, UC Berkeley, Boalt Hall , 2010 2011 Advocacy Training, Mexicali, Mexico (in connection with USAID grant), University of San Diego School of Law Head Coach, Mock Trial Team , Lowell High School (San Francisco), 2010 Present Faculty & Co-Program Director, Advocacy Teacher Training Program (San Francisco, CA),, NITA, 2001 to present Faculty, Advocacy Teacher Training Program (New York, NY), NITA, 2013 Faculty & Program Director, Advocacy Teacher Training Program (Louisville, CO), NITA, 2008 Faculty, Advocacy Teacher Training Program (Cambridge, MA), NITA, 2007, 2008 Team Leader, Northwest Deposition Program (Seattle, WA), NITA, 2009 National Session (Colorado), NITA, July 2005, 2007, 2011 Faculty, Western Regional Trial Skills Program, NITA, 2003-2005, 2007-2009, 2012 Faculty, Southern California Trail Skills Program, NITA, 2008, 2014 Faculty, Pacific Regional Trial Skills Program, NITA, 2004-2005, 2007-2009 Faculty, Pacific Regional Depositions Program, NITA, 2004, 2006 Faculty, Southwest Regional Trial Skills Program, NITA, 2005 Faculty, Western Regional Depositions Program, NITA, 2003 Advocacy Teacher Training Program, Air Force Judge Advocate General’s School, 2010, 2012 Trial Skills Program, Colorado Legal Services Corporation, 2009 Trial Skills Program, Delaware Department of Justice, 2012, 2014 Advocacy Training Program (Macedonia), Department of Justice, 2011, 2012 Advocacy Training Program (Kosovo), Department of Justice, 2009, 2010 Advocacy Skills Training (U.S. Department of Justice), Pristina, Kosovo, April 3-9, 2009 Lecture: “Opening Statements”, Advocacy Training for Solicitors, Belfast, United Kingdom, September 2008 Solicitors Advocacy Certification Program (Belfast, UK), 2008, 2012 Immigration & Customs Enforcement Trial Skills Program, Department of Homeland Security, 2008 In-House Trial Skills Training, Littler Mendelson, 2007, 2012 In-House Trial Skills Training, Fish & Richardson, 2006 In-House Deposition Training, Covington & Burling, 2012 SFTLA, Anatomy Series: Head & Brain, Demystifying Neuroanatomy, April 19, 2016 Bar Association of San Francisco, Walk the Talk Series: Pleadings, Discovery & Jury Instruction, February 24, 2016 ABOTA Masters in Trial, Opening Statement and Cross Examination of Lay Witness, New Orleans, LA, December 11, 2015 The Rutter Group, Personal Injury Update, Los Angeles, December 4, 2015 Santa Clara County Bar Association, Mastering the Mechanics of Civil Jury Trials, Speaker, October 30, 2015 NITA Pacific Regional Trial Skills Program, Lecture on Direct and Cross Exam, San Diego, CA, October 10, 2015 Annual Meeting of the State Bar of California, Examining Opening Statement Strategies for Plaintiffs and Defense Attorneys, Speaker, October 8, 2015 Practicing Law Institute California Trial Advocacy Seminar 2015, Expert Witnesses and Getting Documents into Evidence Speaker, August 5, 2015 Honors and Awards Bar Association of San Francisco, Justice & Diversity Center Volunteer Award, 2013, 2015 Top Women Lawyers in Northern California Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers, 2012 Top 50 Women Lawyers in Northern California, 2011 to present National Law Journal, Minority 40 Under 40 Best Lawyers in America, 2010 to present California SuperLawyers, 2010 to present Bar Association of San Francisco Merit Award, 2008 Finalist, “Trial Lawyer of the Year”, San Francisco Trial Lawyer Association, 2008 Trial Lawyer of the Year Finalist, San Francisco Trial Lawyer Association Recipient, John J. Meehan Alumni Fellow Award, USF School of Law, 2007 John Meehan Fellow (University of San Francisco School of Law Distinguished Alumnus), 2007 NITA, Hon. Robert Keeton Faculty Award Top 100, National Trial Lawyers San Francisco’s Top Attorneys, 2010 present University of San Francisco School of Law Professional Achievement Award, 2015 Professional Associations and Memberships San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association , President-Elect, 2014 San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association , Vice President, 2013 San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association, Treasurer San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association, Parliamentarian San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association, Finance Committee, 2009 Present San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association, Committee on Directors, 2009 Present San Francisco Trial Lawyer Association, Educational Programs Chair, 2006, 2009 San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association, Secretary, 2012 San Francisco Bar Association, President, 2018 Present San Francisco Bar Association, Early Settlement Panelist, 2010 2012 San Francisco Bar Association, Member, Board of Directors, 2009 2011 San Francisco Bar Association, Conference of Delegates, 2009, 2012 San Francisco Bar Association, Chair, Judiciary Committee, 2008 San Francisco Bar Association, Judiciary Committee, Member, 2006 2008 San Francisco Bar Association, Vice Chair, Barrister Club Newsletter, 2002 San Francisco Bar Association, Chair, Barrister Club Newsletter, 2003 San Francisco Bar Association, Secretary, 2016 Litigation Counsel of America, Fellow, 2012 Present American Board of Trial Advocates, Chair, Civility Matters! Programs (Law School Division), 2012 2014 American Board of Trial Advocates, Member, 2011 Present American Board of Trial Advocates, National Representative (San Francisco Chapter), 2015 Present American Board of Trial Advocates, Executive Committee (San Francisco Chapter), 2015 Present Kaiser Arbitration Oversight Board, Board Member, 2010 Present American Inns of Court, USF Chapter, Counselor, 2009 2011 National Association of Women Judges, Resource Board, 2007 Present San Francisco Trial Lawyer Association, Women’s Caucus Chair, 2004 San Francisco Trial Lawyer Association, Mock Trial Committee, 2003 2011 American Inns of Court, USF Chapter, Secretary-Treasurer, 2002 2003 American Inns of Court, USF Chapter, Program Chair, 2001 2002 American Inns of Court, USF Chapter, Membership Chair, 2000 2001 American Inns of Court, USF Chapter, Executive Committee, 1999 2011 National Trial Lawyers, Member, 2012 Present American College of Trial Lawyers, State Committee, 2015 Present American College of Trial Lawyers, National Trial Competition Committee, 2015 Present American College of Trial Lawyers, Admission to Fellowship Committee, 2015 Present