In a wide-ranging interview on the American College of Trial Lawyers’ Trial Tested podcast, Elliot Peters reflected on a career defined by intention, resilience, and an unwavering commitment to trial work. His path—beginning with a decision to leave law school and culminating in his role as a named partner at Keker, Van Nest & Peters—was anything but conventional.
Peters, who has represented clients including Major League Baseball, the PGA Tour, Lance Armstrong, and real estate developer John Wessman, described how an early, deliberate choice shaped the trajectory of his career.
“I knew that I went to law school to be a trial lawyer, that just seemed exciting and interesting and challenging and hard. So it has been a real theme of my career that I have known what I wanted. And that's because of that year off I took and the purposeful decision to go back to school and focus on trial work,” he said. “And then the support I got from the people at NYU and in the criminal law clinic, the people at the federal defender were wonderful. They loved having a super eager law student writing their suppression motions.”
Peters recounted an unforgettable experience in law school while participating in NYU’s Moot Court competition, where Peters advanced to the final round before a distinguished panel of judges that included then–D.C. Circuit Judge Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
“She was the presiding judge in the panel,” he recalled. “And I argued, and I was fortunate enough to win the best brief. And my teammate and I won the competition, and I also won Best Oralist, which Judge Ginsburg presented to me. And then a couple of days later, I got a letter from her, which I promise you is framed and sits in my office today, which is why I can recite exactly what it says. It says, ‘Dear Mr. Peters, congratulations on your prize performance. I wish the advocates I see in court had your style and mastery of the case. Sincerely, Ruth Bader Ginsburg.’”
At the heart of the interview was Peters’s belief that the most meaningful work of his career has been his pro bono efforts, particularly the exoneration of John Tennison, who spent 14 years in prison for a crime he did not commit. What began with a chance connection through Tennison’s brother became a years-long effort to uncover suppressed evidence and correct a wrongful conviction, ultimately leading to Tennison’s release and a landmark recovery against the City and County of San Francisco. For Peters, the case underscores the most important responsibility of a trial lawyer: to give voice to those who cannot speak for themselves.
“No higher calling for a lawyer, in my opinion,” he said. “This is what you're here to do.”
Listen to the podcast here.