Practice areas: Criminal Defense, DUI-DWI; view more
Licensed in California since: 2016
Education: University of San Diego School of Law
Selected to Rising Stars: 2021 - 2026 Ally Keegan is the owner and founder of Keegan Law, APC, where she focuses her practice exclusively on criminal defense matters. The firm is based in San Diego, and she represents clients throughout the greater metropolitan area. Ms. Keegan has been admitted to practice in California since 2016, and she is also admitted to practice before the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California.
Ms. Keegan provides defense representation to people who are facing state or federal misdemeanor or felony charges. She has experience working on criminal cases ranging from violent offenses and murder, gang cases, drug possession and distribution, domestic violence, driving under the influence, white collar crimes, and theft, among others. Ms. Keegan has achieved positive results for her clients, and her record of success has included dismissals, acquittals and reductions in charges through her negotiation of favorable plea agreements with the prosecution. This successful track record has earned her a number of awards and recognitions throughout the legal community.
Ms. Keegan received her Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice, Sociology and Spanish from Villanova University in 2013. She then earned her Juris Doctor with a concentration in Criminal Litigation from University of San Diego School of Law in 2016. She later returned to USD Law to teach Criminal Law courses at the law school's paralegal program for several years.
Ms. Keegan is active in her community. She is currently President of Lawyers Club of San Diego, the city's largest affinity bar organization, and she is Chair of the Board Development Committee at the Tariq Khamisa Foundation. She is also a past Board Director of the Women's Museum of California and National Women's Political Caucus of San Diego. Beyond that, she is an active member of a number of other local diversity bar associations, and the Criminal Defense Bar Association of San Diego.
Practice areas
Criminal Defense, Criminal Defense: DUI/DWIFocus areas
Arrest & Arraignment, Assault & Battery, Criminal Domestic Violence, Criminal Fraud, Criminal Law, DUI/DWI, Drug & Alcohol Violations, Expungement, False Accusations, Felony, Juvenile Delinquency, Misdemeanor, Murder, Parole, Probation, Sex Offenses, Tax Evasion, Theft
- 90% Criminal Defense
- 10% Criminal Defense: DUI/DWI
First Admitted: 2016, California
Professional Webpage: https://allykeeganlaw.com/ally-keegan-individual/
Bar / Professional Activity
- The State Bar of California, 2016-Present
- District Court for the Southern District of California, 2016
Scholarly Lectures / Writings
- Legislative update for the Lawyers Club Newsletter about the makeup of California's legislators in 2022 and key pieces of potential legislation to keep an eye on., Author, Looking Ahead: The Decisions To Be Made and Who Will Be Making Them, Lawyers Club Newsletter, 2022
- Legislative update for the Lawyers Club Newsletter on the California bills that failed during the 2021 legislative cycle., Author, The Bills that Died in 2021, Lawyers Club Newsletter, 2021
- Legislative update for the Lawyers Club Newsletter., Author, Added Protections for Nursing Mothers in the Workplace, Lawyers Club Newsletter, 2021
- Legislative update for the Lawyers Club Newsletter about the status of incarcerated women's reproductive rights, Author, A New Focus on Incarcerated Women’s Reproductive Rights, Lawyers Club Newsletter, 2021
- Article about the 48th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade opinion and the history behind the case and its legal challenges, Author, Roe v. Wade Celebrates 48 Years Despite Decades of Challenges, Lawyers Club Newsletter, 2021
- Taught live national MCLE course on bail law and reform for legal professionals. Course description: "Bail and pre-trial release are essential components of the modern U.S. criminal justice system, and bail has recently become the subject of much debate. This course will discuss how imperative it is to have your client released pre-trial when possible, and the basics of arguing for pre-trial release. When your client cannot afford cash bail, the course also reviews common release conditions that can be utilized in the alternative. The course will also survey the various approaches to bail reform, and weigh the arguments for and against it. By understanding the issues surrounding bail at both the micro- and macro-levels, attorneys will be better equipped to obtain favorable results for the clients at the outset of their cases that will resonate throughout their proceedings. This course will discuss the common hurdles and creative solutions that attorneys can implement to obtain those results.", Speaker, Bail Law: Procedure, Policy & Pitfalls, ProLawCLE, Legal, 2020
- The right to reasonable bail or pretrial release has become a pillar of the modern U.S. criminal justice system. It became more important than ever during the COVID-19 pandemic, when cities and counties nationwide scrambled to reduce their jail and prison populations to prevent its spread. This course will discuss how imperative it is to have your client released pretrial when possible, and the basics of arguing for pretrial release. When your client cannot afford cash bail, the course also reviews common release conditions that can be utilized in the alternative. The accessibility of pretrial release (or lack thereof) to criminal defendants has recently become the subject of much debate. The course will also survey the various approaches to bail reform, and weigh the arguments for and against it, Speaker, Bail Law: Before, During & After a Pandemic, LawPracticeCLE, Criminal Defense, 2020
- Analysis of why San Diego criminal courts should continue to keep some remote services accessible even after the COVID-19 pandemic has ended, Author, Opinion: The Case for Keeping Criminal Cases Partially Remote After COVID-19, Times of San Diego, 2020
- Article recapping Reproductive Justice panel event for the Lawyers Club Newsletter, Author, Reproductive Justice Amidst a Global Pandemic, Lawyers Club Newsletter, 2020
- Legislative update for the Lawyers Club Newsletter about ongoing advocacy efforts with respect to the LGBTQ community in the wake of COVID-19, Author, LGBTQ Advocacy and Legislation Amid the COVID-19 Crisis, Lawyers Club Newsletter, 2020
Honors
- Women of Influence in Law, San Diego Business Journal, 2024
- Celebrating Women Finalist, San Diego Magazine, 2023
- Women of Influence in Law 2023, San Diego Business Journal, 2023
- Rising Star, Super Lawyers, 2023
- Nominated in the Activist category for work with Charitable Causes, Non-Profits, Social Justice, Law & Legal., Celebrating Women Finalist, San Diego Magazine, 2022
- Top 50 Women of Influence in Law 2022, San Diego Business Journal, 2022
- Rising Star, Super Lawyers, 2022
- Celebrating Women Finalist, San Diego Magazine, 2021
- Rising Star, Super Lawyers, 2021
- Women of Influence in Law 2021, San Diego Business Journal, 2021
Selections
- Rising Stars: 2021 - 2026
