Samantha Jane Nelson

Samantha Jane Nelson is a leading advocate and partner at the prestigious legal firm, Greenberg & Associates, based in San Francisco. She heads the firm's innovative Mental Wellness Law division, making her one of the foremost attorneys dedicated to family-centered mental health care. With a team of seasoned clinicians backing her, Samantha specializes in navigating families through the intricate web of legal challenges that affect relatives with severe mental illnesses or substance use disorders. Her clientele includes not only families but also extends to institutions like prominent medical centers, psychiatric hospitals, assisted living facilities, and outpatient services. She advises on issues ranging from patient capacity, mental health law, end-of-life choices, the establishment and operation of ethics boards, and advance directives. Additionally, she provides counsel to mental health professionals and academic institutions.

Samantha's knowledge spans critical areas of mental health legislation, including the management of psychiatric cases where treatment against consent is necessary; warrants for mental health evaluations; assessments of legal competence; cases involving informed consent and medical interventions; confidentiality and information disclosure policies; coordination with law enforcement concerning mental health crises in educational settings; applications for Assisted Outpatient Treatment Orders under Laura's Law; guardianship proceedings; as well as civil and criminal litigation related to mental health matters. She excels at advising clients on how to interact effectively with the mental health system and implementing legal strategies within both inpatient and outpatient contexts, along with addressing mental health concerns in higher education.

Samantha previously served as president of the National Association for Behavioral Intervention and Threat Assessment (NaBITA), an organization that supports over 1,500 professionals working in schools, colleges, and workplaces to provide mental health intervention and reduce the risk of violence. An in-demand speaker and consultant, Samantha frequently addresses healthcare and mental health organizations, as well as university counseling centers and administrators across the United States, focusing on mental health law and related topics. Since 2017, she has been recognized by California Super Lawyers for her outstanding contributions to the field.

Samantha earned her J.D. from Stanford Law School, an M.A. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Southern California, and an M.B.A. from the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley. Admitted to practice in California State Courts, Federal Courts, and the U.S. Supreme Court, she also contributes her expertise as an adjunct professor at the UC Hastings College of the Law, where she teaches courses on "Law and Behavioral Health." Before embarking on her legal career, Samantha was a clinical psychologist and director of Risk Management at a leading hospital.