Megan Burns fights for justice on behalf of her clients whether they are charged with a crime or seeking recovery after being injured through no fault of their own. While Ms. Burns has successfully negotiated hundreds of cases, she is also an aggressive and experienced trial attorney. With over twenty years of experience of litigation experience in private practice and as a deputy public defender, Ms. Burns possesses the skills necessary to secure the best outcome for her clients.
Ms. Burns has diverse experience representing plaintiffs in civil cases from federal civil rights litigation to minor traffic accidents. When one of her clients was illegally arrested for political speech, she helped file a civil rights lawsuit that resulted in an important First Amendment decision by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Big case or small case, Ms. Burns enjoys helping people through a difficult time in their lives. While Ms. Burns cannot guarantee a particular outcome, her successful record demonstrates her unyielding commitment to fiercely advocating for her clients. In 2024, Megan Burns, along with her law partner, Emily Dahm, secured a trial verdict in Alameda County in excess of $9.5 million dollars on behalf of their clients.
In her criminal defense practice, Ms. Burns has worked on nearly every type of criminal case imaginable from special circumstances homicide to drunk driving. She spent many years advocating for indigent defendants at the San Francisco Public Defender’s Office, arguably the best criminal defense firm in the United States. She has tried over fifty jury trials and is regularly invited to speak regarding trial skills by professional organizations and public agencies.
She is currently President of the Board of Directors for the Alameda County Bar Association and a member of the Earl Warren Inns of Court. She graduated with honors from Boston College in 1999 and earned her law degree from Lewis & Clark Law School in 2004.