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