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 Past President of the San Francisco Bar Association and 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.
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
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
Year Joined Firm
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 Trial 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 Trial 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, Trial 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 Francisco, CA, February 19, 2013
- Personal Injury Update, The Rutter Group, San Francisco & Los Angeles, November 27 & 29, 2012
- Speaker, Serving Justice with Strained Budgets–Perspectives 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 Trial 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 Trial 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
