Abramson Smith Waldsmith LLP
Treating California’s Injured With Dignity And Respect
Photo of attorney Robert Waldsmith

Robert J. Waldsmith

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Practice Areas

  • Brain Injuries
  • Spinal Injuries
  • Burn Injuries
  • Wrongful Death
  • Construction Accidents
  • Public Entity Liability
  • Vehicular Accidents
  • Truck Accidents
  • Products Liability
  • Premises Liability

Biography

"I am passionate about providing clients with the best legal representation I can provide to at least make this part of their lives go as well as it can. I feel very lucky to have such an opportunity to help people through difficult times and hope young lawyers can find an area of the law as rewarding as I have found."

Education

  • Golden Gate University School of Law, San Francisco, California
  • University of California at Berkeley

Classes & Seminars

  • Speaker: “Personal Injury Suits Against Public Entities,” State Bar of California, Lawyering Skills Continuing Education Program, 2001
  • Speaker: “Small Firm Technology,” Cal Law Business Conference, Continuing Education Program, 2004
  • Speaker: “Personal Injury Suits Against California Public Entities,” State Bar of California, Litigation Section, Lawyering Skills Continuing Education Program, 2004
  • Speaker: “How To Use High Tech (And Sometimes Low Tech) To Prove Your Case,” San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association, Continuing Education Program, San Francisco, 2004
  • Speaker: “The Ultimate Electronic Trial,” American Board of Trial Advocates, Masters in Trial Educational Program, San Francisco, 2005
  • Faculty: “Impact of Technology in Trial Proceedings,” California Judges Association Conference, San Diego, 2005
  • Presenter: “Multimedia Trials,” Inns of Court, San Francisco, 2006
  • Speaker: “Government Tort Liability: Claims, Litigation & Recent Developments,” San Francisco, 2007
  • Speaker: “Government Tort Liability: Claims, Litigation & Recent Developments,” Sacramento, 2007
  • Faculty: “Animations: Tomorrow and Today,” California Judges Association Conference – State Bar of California, Anaheim, 2007
  • Speaker: “Government Tort Liability: Claims, Litigation & Recent Developments,” San Diego, 2007
  • Speaker: “The Electronic Trial in Brain Damage Cases,” The Brain Injury Association Annual Meeting, Napa, 2007
  • Speaker: “Public Entity Liability,” State Bar of California, Education Section, San Diego, 2008
  • Speaker: “Beyond Boilerplate: Raising the Bar on Motions in Limine,” San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association, Continuing Education Program, San Francisco, 2008
  • Speaker: “The Use and Abuse of Technology by Expert Witnesses at Trial,” Forensic Expert Witness Association/SEAK Expert Witness Summit, Newport Beach, 2008
  • Speaker: “Personal Injury Suits Against California Public Entities,” Annual Meeting of the State Bar of California, Litigation Section, Monterey, 2008
  • Faculty: Trial Skills Advocacy Skills Workshop, Stanford Law School, 2008
  • Speaker: “California Public Entity Liability,” Santa Clara Trial Lawyers Association Educational Program, San Jose, 2009
  • Speaker: “Demonstrative Evidence in the 21st Century,” Regional TLA Conference, Olympic Valley, 2009
  • Speaker: “The Effective Use of Visual Evidence in Litigation,” Bar Association of San Francisco, Estate Planning, Probate and Trust Litigation, San Francisco, 2010
  • Speaker: “Understanding and Preparing a Frontal Lobe Case for Trial,” The California Brain Injury Association Annual Meeting, Napa, 2010
  • Speaker: “Suing California Public Entities,” Santa Clara Trial Lawyers Association Program, San Jose, 2011
  • Speaker: “Streamlining Legal Document Management,” LegalTech Conference, New York, 2012
  • Speaker: “Preparing Witnesses for Deposition and Trial,” Continuing Education of the Bar, San Francisco, 2012
  • Moderator: “Civility Matters,” San Mateo County Bar Association’s Funky Credit Day, San Mateo, 2019
  • Moderator: “Civility Matters,” The Bar Association of San Francisco’s Women in Trial Training, San Francisco, 2019

Published Works

  • The Electronic Trial, Journal of the Contra Costa County Bar Association, August 2003
  • Winning The Close Case And Increasing Your Damages With Technology, The Trial Lawyers Journal of the San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association, Spring 2004
  • Discovery in Dangerous Condition of Public Property Cases. The Advocate. Journal of Consumer Attorneys Associations for Southern California, Spring 2004
  • California Uninsured Motorist Practice (Co-Author), Continuing Education of the Bar, Chapter 2, 2005-2009
  • California Government Tort Liability Practice (C0-Author) Continuing Education of the Bar, Fourth Edition, Chapters 1-4 2007-present Updates

Professional Associations

  • American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), A national, invitation-only organization of experienced trial lawyers and judges who exhibit the virtues of civility, integrity and professionalism. ABOTA promotes and improves the American civil justice system and the preservation of the Seventh Amendment right to a civil jury trial.
  • International Society of Barristers (ISOB), An international organization with members in the United States, Canada, England, Ireland, Scotland, Mexico and Australia, whose goal is the selection of lawyers who possess “excellent character and integrity of the highest order.” Candidates must have distinguished themselves as “outstanding in the field of advocacy, rather than demonstrating mere competence or average skill as an advocate.”
  • American Association of Justice (AAJ), A national organization of plaintiffs’ attorneys that promotes justice and fairness for injured persons and strengthens the civil justice system through education and disclosure of information critical to public health and safety.
  • Consumer Attorneys of California (CAOC), A California organization of plaintiffs’ attorneys that seek accountability from those who do wrong. CAOC advocates on legislative issues affecting consumers of this state, ensuring that our courts remain accessible to all and to level the playing field for underdog consumers facing wealthy and powerful foes.
  • San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association (SFTLA), A San Francisco trial lawyers association focused on education and diversity.

Current Employment Position

  • Partner since 1999

Bar Admissions

  • California, 1993

Honors

  • “Northern California Super Lawyer” by San Francisco Magazine
  • Trial Lawyer of the Year Finalist, San Francisco Trial Lawyer Association
  • Consumer Attorney of the Year Finalist, Consumer Attorneys of California
  • National “Most Innovative Use of Technology During Trial” Award Recipient
  • “Top 100 Jury Verdicts for 2003 in U.S.” Award, National Law Journal