Felony, Misdemeanor, DUI, and Drug Crimes.
danielle.keller@cohendefense.com
Danielle Keller is a marathoner. She’s run over twelve marathons and has finished the Boston Marathon twice. Not for the faint of heart, marathoning requires focus, sacrifice, self-discipline, and enormous commitment. These are the qualities that Danielle brings to her work, and they help her get exceptional outcomes for her clients. Danielle is one of our primary felony attorneys and an invaluable member of our DUI team. She handles cases of all kinds at every phase of the litigation process, including post-conviction record cleanup.
Danielle began her career in business and spent several years at Hewlett-Packard. Working with contracts at HP involved close contact with attorneys and allowed Danielle insight into the legal world. She entered the University of San Francisco School of Law intending to study business law, but her experience working in a Criminal and Juvenile Justice Clinic changed everything. Danielle discovered her passion: advocating for the under-represented and protecting their rights. She became a founding member of the International Cannabis Bar Association USF Chapter, whose mission was to educate and build community around the rapidly evolving body of cannabis laws and regulations, including helping people get marijuana-related charges expunged from their records. She interned as a Certified Law Clerk with the San Francisco Public Defender’s Office felony unit and later in their Integrity Unit, holding police and government agencies accountable. She received the CALI Excellence for the Future Award in her Wrongful Convictions course for her paper on the Efficacy of Conviction Integrity Units in District Attorney Offices. These foundational experiences cemented Danielle’s resolve to defend people and led to a position at the Placer County Public Defender’s Office.
With a calm, steadfast approach to her cases, Danielle has earned the respect of her colleagues and the court. David Cohen, founding member of the Cohen Defense Group, says about her, “I was lucky enough to have a front row seat in observing Danielle Keller’s development as a criminal defense attorney when she started with the Placer County Public Defender’s Office. Danielle quickly impressed her colleagues and was moved into handling felony cases early in her career. She demonstrates a clear understanding of her cases, communicates well with her clients, and is highly respected by judges and the court staff. But what really made me want to add Danielle to our team was the outstanding results she obtained on behalf of her clients.”
Empathetic, smart, and innovative, Danielle makes it a priority to listen to her clients and to find the best outcome for each one. Her go-the-distance training and mentality are well suited to felony work because those cases are complicated and take time. Danielle understands that getting to know your client and gathering positive information about them can have a tremendous impact on the outcome of a case. She wants to constantly remind the court, “This is a human being we are dealing with. There are often more positive and rehabilitative alternatives to imprisonment.” Above all, she says, “I want my clients to know that they have someone on their team, because I know that the court system can be scary and overwhelming.”
Whether she’s running a marathon or fighting to protect her clients’ rights, Danielle Keller has her eyes on the prize. She’ll do the work and keep showing up until she gets the result her client needs.
Danielle earned her undergraduate degree at University of San Francisco and her law degree from the University of San Francisco School of Law. When she’s not working, Danielle enjoys traveling, running on roads and trails, scuba diving, backpacking, skiing, and spending time with her pets and family.
Born in Livermore, California, and raised in the Bay Area, Danielle became a member of the California State Bar in 2021. Education: University of San Francisco (B.S. Business Administration, Magna Cum Laude, 2010); University of San Francisco School of Law (J.D., 2020). Member: Placer County Bar Association, Criminal Section; National College of DUI Defense.