Robert Fellmeth

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Robert "Bob" Fellmeth, one of the original Nader's Raiders, now teaches public interest law and other subjects at the University of San Diego School of Law.

Professor Fellmeth graduated from Stanford University (AB 1967) and received his J.D. from Harvard University in 1970. After organizing some of Nader's early investigations in the late 1960s, he became a public prosecutor in San Diego County, specializing in white collar crime, specifically antitrust offenses. In nine years, he prosecuted 22 major antitrust and unfair competition cases.

In 1980 he moved over to the faculty of the University of San Diego School of Law, where he won tenure and in 1984 became one of the nation's several faculty "chairs" in public interest law. Professor Fellmeth started the Center for Public Interest Law (CPIL)^[1] in 1980, training law students in public interest practice. Ten years later, Fellmeth created a sister advocacy group, the Children's Advocacy Institute (CAI), featuring a Child Rights and Remedies course and child advocacy clinic opportunities. Fellmeth was involved in the revamping of the State of California's attorney discipline system^[2] and was an outspoken critic of Attorney Misconduct. His frank assessment of the dishonesty employed by lawyers in civil litigation was reported in the State Bar Discipline Monitor:

The level of attorney dishonesty in representations to the court, in promises to clients, in dealings with adverse counsel, and perhaps especially in points and authorities and legal briefs, is embarrassing to anyone with a measure of intellectual pride. [...] Part of the problem has to do with the lack of certain sanctions for deceit. [...] It is possible to develop new rules of behavior supervening adversary representation, and restoring a measure of honor to a profession which is in a current state of well-deserved dishonor. ^[3]

Professor Fellmeth has taught at the National College of District Attorneys, and the National Judicial College. His publications include 14 books and treatises, with the text Child Rights And Remedies (Clarity, 2002, 2006) now in its second edition. He has argued 36 reported appellate cases. He is the secretary of the Board of the National Association of Counsel for Children.

Professor Fellmeth is well-known to Sacramento lawmakers and lobbyists. After lobbying for consumers in Sacramento, he chose to focus on children's rights because he says their interests are under-represented in government.

Professor Fellmeth is married to Julie D'Angelo Fellmeth, who was an early student at CPIL. She is now the Executive Director of the Center for Public Interest Law.