About Keith Franz

Keith has long been a victims’ advocate and is highly regarded for his experience in aviation law and other wrongful death claims. He has provided substantial pro bono assistance to Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) since 1983 and has served as MADD’s representative on the Governor’s Task Force for Crime Victims’ Rights. Keith also acted as Lead Counsel in the national litigation in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York representing several families touched by the horrors of the September 11th terrorist attacks.

Keith is one of the founders of the Maryland DWI Law Institute. During his tenure, he edited the Maryland DWI Victims’ Assistance Manual, which is regarded by local MADD chapters across the country as a model for their victims’ programs.

He has represented victims in many celebrated civil cases in Maryland and other states, including multi-district complex litigation arising from aviation disasters throughout the United States and abroad.

His work has helped expand Maryland’s Wrongful Death Statute. Keith is regarded as a leading legal authority on victims’ rights in Maryland and lectures frequently on the subject throughout the United States.

In 2011, Keith was presented with the prestigious Frank Carrington Champion of Civil Justice Award by the National Crime Victim Bar Association in recognition of his work as lead counsel for the victims of the September 11th terrorist attacks. This national civil litigation in the New York Federal Court against the airlines and their security contractors determined their roles in allowing the attacks to occur.

Keith was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland. He received his B.A. from the University of Maryland in 1976 where he was elected to Phi Kappa Phi. He was awarded his Juris Doctorate from the University of Maryland School of Law in 1979 where he served as an Associate Editor of the Maryland Law Review.

Keith was admitted to the Maryland Bar and the U.S. District Court in 1979 and the U.S. Supreme Court in 1984. Keith was a member of the Baltimore County Board of Appeals from 1981-1987.