Kelly Bentley
Placerville,CA
Summary
Dedicated and skilled Attorney specializing in Child Advocacy and Family Law with 17 years of litigation and legal drafting experience. Supervising attorney over court appointed panel of attorney's on juvenile dependency cases for El Dorado, Amador and Tuolumne Counties. Adept at establishing trust and rapport with clients through strategic communication techniques. Dedicated to delivering expert representation and counsel through comprehensive legal knowledge and research.
Overview
18
18
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Attorney at Law
Law Office of Kelly S. Bentley
Placerville , CA
11.2006 - Current
- Court appointed representation to parents and minors in juvenile dependency cases; minors in juvenile delinquency cases; minors in family law, guardianship and adoption cases.
- Researched case law to develop legal arguments for cases.
- Developed strategies to protect clients' legal rights while minimizing potential risks.
- Collaborated with other attorneys on complex matters requiring multiple areas of expertise.
- Attended meetings with colleagues or opponents to discuss settlement agreements.
- Prepared written reports summarizing research findings or legal opinions.
- Participated in professional development activities such as continuing education seminars or workshops.
- Maintained accurate records of client information including case notes and billing information.
- Represented clients in court proceedings such as hearings, trials, mediations, arbitrations, and depositions.
- Assisted pro bono clients in navigating the legal system without access to financial resources.
- Advocated for clients' interests during negotiations with opposing parties.
- Reviewed evidence related to client cases to determine an appropriate course of action.
- Evaluated proposed legislation for potential impacts on existing laws or regulations.
- Provided expert advice to clients about their rights under the law.
- Drafted and filed legal documents, motions, pleadings, and other papers with local, state, and federal court systems.
- Provided legal advice, opinions and solutions regarding issues and risks on various transactional and regulatory matters.
- Argued clearly, logically and persuasively in written and oral form.
- Performed complex legal research to prepare for cases or arbitration.
- Advised clients on intricacies of law, fostering informed understanding of legal rights and obligations.
- Conducted interviews with witnesses involved in cases.
- Created educational materials regarding the law for use by clients or members of the public.
- Coordinated with outside experts such as forensic accountants or private investigators when necessary.
- Prepared persuasive legal memoranda, motions and briefs synthesizing facts, evidence and legal authorities.
- Assisted law enforcement agencies with investigations and issues of law.
- Interpreted recent court opinions and current legal research to remain current with developments.
- Negotiated resolutions of cases with defense attorneys and judges.
- Heard evidence, ruled on admissibility and made reasoned decisions supported by evidence.
- Interviewed clients and witnesses to acquire additional insight into case details.
- Negotiated and drafted settlement agreements to resolve litigated cases.
- Used in-depth knowledge of legal precedents to analyze probable outcomes of cases.
- Prepared legal briefs and appeals and filed with state and federal courts as required.
- Spearheaded negotiations to settle cases before trials.
- Coordinated with investigators and law enforcement agencies to obtain information or evidence used in hearings.
Education
J.D. - Law
McGeorge School of Law
Sacramento, CA05-2006
Bachelor of Science - Criminal Justice
California State University Sacramento
Sacramento, CA12-2000
Skills
- Client Representation
- Legal Advisory
- Discovery Understanding
- Document Preparation
- Investigation Skills
- Strategy Development
- Negotiation
- Evaluating Documents
- Settlement Negotiation
- Document Review
- Legal Writing
- Court Procedures
- Oral Argument
- Client Counseling
- Civil Litigation
- Legal Analysis
- Legal Research
Certification
- Forensic Interviewing of Children
Timeline
Attorney at Law
Law Office of Kelly S. Bentley
11.2006 - Current
J.D. - Law
McGeorge School of Law
- Forensic Interviewing of Children
Bachelor of Science - Criminal Justice
California State University Sacramento
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