The Lawyers

Christopher F. Emley

Chris Emley is a Certified Family Law Specialist,* and former Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML) [1989-2023]. For 33 years, Chris has been listed in "Best Lawyers in America" for his work in family law. Ever since 2005, he’s been listed as a “Super Lawyer.” He's been a panelist for CEB eight times on family law subjects, authored instructional material for CEB three times, and has lectured in family law for the State Bar Family Law Section, California Judicial Education and Research Institutes, The Rutter Group, the University of San Francisco, the University of California at Davis School of Law, Golden Gate University Law School, Hastings College of Advocacy, and many other institutions. Chris was a member for four years of the Judicial Council's Family Law Advisory Committee, and is Past President of the California Chapter of the Association of Family Conciliation Courts, of Legal Assistance to the Elderly, and Legal Services for Children, and he was a member of the Boards of Directors of the Marin Family and Children's Law Center and of The Bar Association of San Francisco. He has most recently worked with the rest of the Advisory Committee of The Rally Program of Supervised Visitation to preserve that program for the courts of San Francisco, Marin, and San Mateo. Chris served as a Judge Pro Tem on the San Francisco Superior Court Family Law Motion Calendar several times each year between 1990 and 2014, and for decades was a Settlement Officer in San Francisco and a Bench/Bar Panelist in Marin.

Chris chaired the Advisory Committee of the Volunteer Legal Services Program of the Bar Association of San Francisco for 30 years. In 2022, he was honored by the San Francisco Superior Court with a lifetime achievement award for his dedication to volunteer legal services. In 2023, the Justice and Diversity Center of the San Francisco Bar Association recognized Chris' contributions to the pro bono legal services community by honoring him with another lifetime achievement award. He was proud to receive the very first James P. Preovolos Award for for Preeminent Pro Bono Service in Family Law, and then even prouder to share the same Award fifteen years later with his son.

Don B. Emley

Email: don@emleylaw.com

Don Emley is a Certified Family Law Specialist,* and has practiced exclusively in family law since he was admitted to the Bar in 2011. Don has been selected as a Super Lawyer each year since 2022, and was a Super Lawyers Rising Star from 2018 through 2021. Being selected to Super Lawyers is limited to a small number of attorneys in each state. As one of the few attorneys to garner the distinction of Super Lawyers, Don has earned the respect of peers as one of the top-rated attorneys in the nation. Don has been selected by Best Lawyers in America: Ones to Watch every year since 2020.

Don earned his JD from UC Hastings College of the Law, where he graduated magna cum laude and twice earned the CALI Excellence for the Future Award, once in California Appellate Process and again in Refugee Law and Policy. Don received his bachelor's degree from UCLA.

Don currently serves as Vice Chair of the San Francisco Bar Association's Family Law Executive Committee. The San Francisco Superior Court Unified Family Court invites Don to serve about twelve times each year as Settlement Officer for the Mandatory Settlement Conference program, and about as often as Family Law Attorney of the Day for the Court's law and motion calendar.

In 2014, Don and Chris were co-recipients of the James P. Preovolos Award for Outstanding Pro Bono Services in Family Law. Don has been honored by the San Francisco Bar Association's Justice and Diversity Center in every year of his practice as an Outstanding Volunteer in Family Law. In 2023, Don was recognized by the San Francisco Superior Court as the Volunteer of the Year. In 2024, Don received the Justice and Diversity Center's Crystal Award for his volunteer contributions to the Bar Association's Family Law Attorney of the Day program.

*The State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization