About
Attorney David L. Milligan
One of the most credentialed trial attorneys in Central California. Board Certified. ABOTA Trial College at Harvard Law School. Navy veteran. Pilot. Twenty-five years.
Most accident attorneys settle. David Milligan tries cases. That is the first thing to know about him, and it is the reason most people end up here.
If you are shopping for a lawyer, this page is meant to show you how David is different from the others on your list.
The Short Answer
David is one of the most credentialed trial attorneys in Central California. That is not a slogan. It is a list.
In the American legal profession there is a very short list of trial credentials that an attorney has to actually earn — by trying cases, by passing written examinations, by surviving peer review, and by continuing to do the work every five years to keep the title. Most attorneys hold none of them. Most attorneys who hold one hold only one.
David holds nearly all of them. That is the single biggest reason to pick him. Here is the list, with what each one means in plain English.
What sets David apart: the credential stack
Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyer — National Board of Trial Advocacy (NBTA)
The NBTA board certification is accredited by the American Bar Association. To get it, an attorney has to prove he actually tries cases — with specific numbers of verdicts, peer reviews by opposing counsel and judges, continuing education, and a written test. Recertification is required every five years. Fewer than 3% of attorneys nationwide have this. David was recertified February 3, 2026.
Specialist in Civil Trial Advocacy — State Bar of California
California’s own separate trial-specialist certification. Requires a distinct written examination beyond the bar exam, plus peer review and verified trial experience. Fewer than 1 out of every 100 California attorneys hold it.
Ranked Associate — American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA)
ABOTA is invitation-only. New members have to be sponsored by existing members who have watched them try cases, and the existing members vote on admission. Membership requires a minimum number of completed civil jury trials and a reputation for ethics and professionalism.
ABOTA Trial College — Harvard Law School
David completed ABOTA’s Trial College training at Harvard Law School. Trial College is ABOTA’s most advanced hands-on trial skills program, taught by sitting trial-court judges and senior ABOTA members on the Harvard Law campus. It is not an “attended a seminar” credential. It is one of the most selective trial-skills programs in the country.
Master Advocate (Faculty Qualified) & Advocate — National Institute for Trial Advocacy (NITA)
NITA is the most respected trial-skills training organization in the United States. The Master Advocate designation (Faculty Qualified) is given to attorneys who have completed NITA’s highest-level training and are qualified to teach NITA courses themselves. David holds both the Master Advocate designation and the separate Advocate designation.
Life Member — Million Dollar Advocates Forum
Membership requires “a Trial Verdict, award, or settlement in the amount of One Million Dollars or more.” Life membership means the record holds. Fewer than 1% of American attorneys qualify.
AV Preeminent Rating — Martindale-Hubbell
Martindale-Hubbell’s top rating. Peer-reviewed by other attorneys and judges. Based on legal ability and ethical standards. “AV” is the highest tier.
Avvo 10.0 “Superb” Rating
Avvo’s 1-to-10 scale is what most consumers see first when they search for a lawyer online. A 10.0 Superb rating is the highest Avvo issues — based on experience, conduct, and recognition.
Super Lawyers — 2016 to Present
Selected every year for nearly a decade running. Super Lawyers selects only the top 5% of attorneys in each state through peer nomination and independent research.
Past President, Central California Trial Lawyers Association (CCTLA) — and 2 Presidential Awards
Elected to lead the regional trial lawyers association by his peers. Received two Presidential Awards for “outstanding advocacy protecting the rights of consumers in civil litigation.” During his term as President, David also served on the Board of Governors of Consumer Attorneys of California — the statewide organization setting policy for plaintiff trial lawyers.
Professional memberships
State Bar of California · American Bar Association (Litigation Section) · Consumer Attorneys of California · Consumer Attorneys of Los Angeles · Association of Trial Lawyers of America (ATLA / AAJ) · Fresno County Bar Association.
The bottom line on credentials. Every one of these was earned — not purchased, not advertised into existence, not self-awarded. They were earned by trying cases, by passing tests, by being voted in by peers, and by continuing to do the work over decades. When you are comparing attorneys, this list is the apples-to-apples comparison.
How David got here
The Navy years (1985–1992)
Before law school, David served seven years in the United States Navy. He sailed to the Gulf of Oman. He worked in Asia. He worked in Central America. He was honorably discharged in 1992.
The Navy teaches you things that stick. Show up on time. Read the rules before you act. Do not speak about what you do not understand. Own your mistakes. Those habits still run his law practice today.
He almost went to Cal Poly for engineering — and why that matters
After the Navy, David went back to school. He earned an Associate’s Degree in Liberal Studies. Then he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Pre-Law, with an emphasis in higher mathematics and physics.
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo accepted him into their Aeronautical Engineering program — one of the top engineering programs in the country. He almost went. He chose law instead.
Here is why that matters if you are shopping for a lawyer: most attorneys never took a college-level physics class. When a defense expert gets on the witness stand and talks about forces, speeds, or crash dynamics, most attorneys have to trust what they are hearing. David can check the math.
Law school in Fresno — and the Agricultural Law Review
David went to law school at San Joaquin College of Law, in Fresno. He graduated with his Juris Doctorate in 1997. While he was still in school, he was invited to join the San Joaquin Agricultural Law Review — an honor given only to top students.
That same year, he passed the California Bar and the federal bar. He has been practicing ever since.
Going to a local law school matters. The judges who sit on the Fresno, Madera, Tulare, Kings, Kern, and Merced county benches often went to the same school. David knows these courtrooms. He knows these judges. He has worked in all of them.
The pilot — and why this matters for your case
David is an instrument-rated pilot with more than 1,000 hours of flight time. He has flown search-and-rescue missions for the Tulare County Sheriff’s Department Volunteer Search & Rescue Squadron over the Sierra Nevada Mountains — and received a Pilot Award for it.
This is not a hobby on a list. It matters to his clients in three real ways.
Speed. When David needs to be in a Sacramento courtroom in the morning and back in Fresno in the afternoon, he flies. Other firms lose a day. David does not.
Aviation cases. When a small plane crashes, the NTSB produces thick reports full of pilot jargon, weather codes, radar tracks, and engine numbers. David reads that material the same way he reads the newspaper. Most lawyers have to hire an expert just to understand what happened. David already knows.
Clients sometimes fly with him. On more than one occasion, a client needed to get to a specialist doctor in another part of the state and had no way to get there. David put them in his own airplane and flew them — free of charge. He does not advertise it. He just does it when it is needed.
How this firm is different from the ones on TV
David’s office is small on purpose. There is no television commercial. There is no billboard. There is no call center.
When you call this firm, a real person picks up. Often that person is David. You are not client number 4,327. You are one of a small number of people the firm is representing this year.
That also means David does not take every case. He looks at the facts first. He looks at the medical records. If the medicine does not support the story of what happened, the case will lose at trial. He would rather tell you “no” up front than take your case and lose it.
The firm sues big companies. It sues government agencies — including juvenile halls and women’s prisons where people were abused. It sues corporations that poisoned groundwater. These cases are hard. They take years. The other side has lots of lawyers. David is not afraid of any of them. One client said it like this: “This attorney is like a pit bull — he never stops.”
What it costs to call
Calling this office is free. The first conversation is free. Your story stays private — the firm cannot share what you say.
For personal injury cases, David works on contingency. That means he only gets paid if you win. If he does not recover money for you, you owe nothing for his time.
And — most importantly
David is the proud father of two daughters. Everything else on this page is second to that.
“The cases we take are cases where the medical proof can carry the damages. That is not rhetoric — it is the test every file gets at intake.”
Law Offices of David L. Milligan, APC · Fresno, California
Common Questions
How long has the firm been in practice?
Over 25 years. Attorney Milligan was admitted to the State Bar of California and the federal bar in 1997.
Where is the firm located?
1265 W Shaw Avenue, Suite 100, Fresno, California 93711. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Weekend appointments by arrangement.
Does the firm accept cases outside the Central Valley?
Yes. The firm’s practice is statewide. Major cases in Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Sacramento, and Bay Area courts are common.
What is the firm’s fee structure?
Personal injury and institutional accountability cases are handled on a contingency-fee basis — there is no fee unless we recover for you. Initial consultation is free.
What kinds of cases does the firm not handle?
We do not handle medical or dental malpractice, or workers’ compensation claims. We do handle work-related third-party civil claims.
Is initial contact confidential?
Yes. Speaking with our office about a possible matter is confidential. Your identity, your story, and the fact that you contacted us are not shared outside the firm without your authorization.