Don Keenan
Founder at Keenan Trial Institute
Fellow KTI members,
We have 5,509 people who have attended KTI. In November we had a virtual graduation for 1,322 undergraduates and 275 master’s graduates. As we head into a new Covid year we will still be conducting Zoom classes, webinars and seminars. The college has two new courses: Seeing Is Believing for visual evidence and the all important Direct Exam with the new book.
Remember the Chinese symbol for crisis is the same for opportunity. 2021 will be the year of great OPPORTUNITY.
So together lets make it happen
Papa Don
About Don Keenan
During his forty years specializing in catastrophic injury and wrongful death cases, Mr. Keenan has secured over 378 verdicts and settlements over $1,000,000 including 14 over $10,000,000 and one over $100,000,000. Mr. Keenan has dedicated his practice to child injury and wrongful death cases arising from medical negligence, products liability, and premise liability, with the goal of making our society safer for children.
He has handled cases in 47 states and on three continents.
Don Keenan strongly believes that our duty does not end when we secure justice for the child and family. Equally important is learning from the prevention lessons of the case and formulating a public awareness campaign to help prevent future injuries and deaths and when necessary, push for legislation and regulations.
He calls this unique approach to law the One-Third Solution: one-third litigating the case, one-third public awareness on the prevention and one-third pushing for regulations and legislation. Examples of his One-Third Solution are the Playground Safety Project being featured on the Today Show for the past three years, The Toy Safety Campaign profiled in USA Today and Good Morning America.
The Imagine Magazine Summer 2005 issue featured Don Keenan and his One-Third Solution as did Mercedes Momentum Magazine in winter of 2004.
Honors
Selected as one of Oprah Winfrey’s “People Who Have Courage”
Community
Named “The Voice of the Voiceless” by The Atlanta Globe
Media
Has appeared on 60 Minutes, 20/20, Larry King Live, The Oprah Winfrey Show, Montel, The O’Reilly Factor, the Today Show, Good Morning America, CNN and National Public Radio (NPR).
Awards / Distinctions
- Selected by Oprah Winfrey as one of the “People Who Have Courage” noting that Don has been fighting for the rights of abused children for 25 years
- Emory University bestowed the “Career Achievement Award for Public Policy and Child Advocacy”
- Named by the National Law Journal as one of the top three medical malpractice lawyers in the United States
- Called “The Voice of the Voiceless” by The Atlanta Globe
- “Internationally renowned child advocacy lawyer” by Points North Magazine
- “A famous advocate for children”, Business Chronicle
- Seven time recipient of “Top 100 Irish Americans” presented by Irish America Magazine
- 2007 Ellis Island Medal of Honor (only 100 awarded each year)
- 2008 Tradition of Excellence Award – State Bar of Georgia
Don has appeared on every major national news program including: 60 Minutes, 20/20, Larry King Live, The Oprah Winfrey Show, Montel, The O’Reilly Factor, the Today Show, Good Morning America, CNN and National Public Radio (NPR) addressing children’s issues.
Professional Accomplishments
In 1992, he became the youngest National President of the American Board of Trial Advocates and during his tenure, led a delegation of lawyers to Czechoslovakia and later was invited to Russia to produce the first civil trial in the history of those two emerging democracies.
In 1997, he became National President of the Inner Circle of Advocates, the most exclusive group of trial lawyers in the country.
In 1999, he was given the prestigious Chief Justice Award for Civility and Professionalism, the highest award possible for a lawyer in Georgia. He now serves on the Advisory Committee for the National Judicial College in Reno, Nevada, which trains the majority of new judges in the United States.
In 1990 and again in 1992, he was named Trial Lawyer of the Year.
Significant Cases
Don successfully handled the 1980’s U.S. Supreme Court case of Kathy Jo Taylor which was the first case in United States history to establish due process rights for foster children. Again in late 1999 he handled the nationally publicized case of Terrell Peterson, an abused foster child, who was on the cover of Time Magazine (11/2000) and was the subject of the highest rated 60 Minute story of the year. Both cases resulted in significant changes in the rights of children in state custody. In 2006 he obtained the largest US jury verdict on behalf of an abused child.
“Don Keenan is a true advocate for injured people, especially children. He is a master of trial skills, and invests immense amounts of his time and resources to teaching trial skills to other lawyers. He is innovative in his teaching methods, and creative in trial presentations. He is a fearless advocate for his clients, and well-respected.”
“Don Keenan is considered the nation’s leading child advocacy lawyer, as well as one of the best medical malpractice lawyers in the country. In addition to being a voice for seriously injured kids, Keenan has started a children’s foundation that supports poor and abused children. If you have a serious case, Don Keenan is the lawyer you want.“
“I attended a speaking engagement hosted by Mr. Keenan. I have also read one of his books. All I can say is WOW. What an innovative, driven, world class attorney. Don’s track record speaks for itself. He is a great advocate who is not afraid to try a case, which is rare these days.”
