Terrence M. Franklin

Practice Areas

Trust, estate and probate litigation, disputes and appeals

Professional Memberships

American College of Trust and Estate Counsel: Fellow; host and executive producer of “Planning for a Diverse and Equitable Future” video series; past Chair of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusivity Committee; former Regent, former member of the Fiduciary Litigation Committee; former Director of the ACTEC Foundation

American Bar Association: Member; former Commissioner of the ABA Commission on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity; former member of the Diversity Committee of the American Bar Association Real Property, Trust and Estate Section; former Council Member and Supervisory Council Member for the Litigation, Ethics and Malpractice Group; former Vice Chair of the Practice Group Management; former Chair of the Ethics and Malpractice Committee       

American Law Institute Continuing Legal Education (ALI CLE) Advisory Panel on Estate Planning: Estate Litigation Advisor       

Chair of the USC Trust and Estate Conference since 2019    

Advisor to the U.C. Irvine Black Thriving Initiative Board    

Board of Directors of Outfest from 2014-2022 and served as Co-President of the Board from 2018-2019. Outfest promotes the work of LGBTQ filmmakers and storytellers. Notably, Franklin was one of the first pair of co-presidents of color on the Board of Directors. 

Publications

Speechifying and Scribbling—A Candid Discussion about the “Why” and “How” of Integrating Public Speaking and Presentations into Your Trusts and Estates Career, Probate & Property

Black Deaths Should Matter, Too! Estate Planning as a Tool for Antiracists, ALI CLE’s The Practical Lawyer

Black Deaths Should Matter, Too! Estate Planning as a Tool for Antiracists, ALI CLE’s Estate Planning Course Materials Journal

Black Deaths Should Matter, Too! Estate Planning as a Tool for Antiracists , ACTEC Law Journal

Host, Planning for a Diverse and Equitable Future, ACTEC Diversity, Equity & Inclusivity Video Series

Bending the Arc of History Toward Justice—What a Trusts and Estates Lawyer Can Do, The Practical Lawyer

The 1846 Last Will of John Sutton—What’s Not So New in Will Drafting and Contests, Wealth Strategies Journal

LAST WILL, NEW TESTAMENT: The search for the story behind the will that set Terry Franklin’s ancestors free, Southern California Super Lawyers magazine

Co-author, Hot Topics in Estate, Trust & Conservatorship Litigation: Contests After Death, Pre-Death Contests, and Intentional Interference with Expected Inheritance (Among Other Things), American Law Institute – CLE Estate Planning Course Materials Journal

Will Power: A 19th-century document leads Terry Franklin on a journey of self-discovery, Harvard Law Today

Minority Powerbrokers Q&A: Sacks Glazier’s Terrence Franklin, Law360

Author, Tracing One Family’s Path to Freedom, Through Love, 15 ASIA-PACIFIC LAW & POLICY JOURNAL 1 (with Eric K. Yamamoto and Sara Lee)

Co-author, What is a Care Custodian Under Probate Code 21350, California Trust & Estates Quarterly

Personal

Terrence Franklin is renowned for his innovative initiatives and tireless advocacy to advance DEI in the legal community and beyond. Through education, mentorship and spearheading countless programs to support minority groups, he has championed underrepresented voices and created meaningful change for a more inclusive and equitable society.

Mr. Franklin had been practicing trusts and estates litigation for nearly 25 years before he discovered that his legal career was the path to his mission in life—to “Help Bend the Arc of History Towards Justice” by sharing the story of his family’s experience escaping from slavery, nearly two decades before the end of the Civil War. In dozens of presentations throughout the U.S., media interviews and articles, Mr. Franklin has retraced his journey to uncover his fourth great-grandfather’s will, and the unexpected will contest that threatened to keep his family enslaved. When Franklin ends his story, he references the notion that he first heard paraphrased by fellow Harvard Law School alum Barack Obama, attributable to a Unitarian minister and abolitionist in a sermon from 1853: “The moral arc of the universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” From Mr. Franklin’s experiences, he realized that he may have descendants who may look back at him and wonder what he did to deal with oppression, and to make the world a more inclusive place. To help bend the arc of history towards justice, Mr. Franklin’s goal is to widely educate others, and push back against dehumanization and racism.

Experience

Terrence M. Franklin is a seasoned attorney with over three decades of experience handling trust and estates and probate litigation, disputes and appeals. Mr. Franklin has extensive trial and appellate experience, including successful published appeals and the landmark Moeller case, which was brought before the California Supreme Court. 16 Cal. 4th 1124. He has successfully represented beneficiaries, trustees, individuals and institutional clients in matters involving substantial assets, and his work has been recognized among top awards and rankings

Mr. Franklin is frequently called upon as a speaker to national, state and local estate planning, trust, and probate groups, such as ACTEC, ABA Real Property Trust and Estate Law Section, and USC Probate and Trust Conference, where he is the Program Chair.

Languages Spoken

French

Education

Awards