Hire The Law Firm That Keeps
California Car Dealers Honest

Practice Areas

  • Lemon Law
  • Auto Dealer Fraud

Biography

Michael A. Klitzke received his undergraduate degree from San Diego State University (B.A., Political Science 2011) and his law degree from Thomas Jefferson School of Law (2014), where he graduated summa cum laude (2 of 201). During law school he was an Editor for the Law Review and a National Competitor for the Mock Trial Team. Mr. Klitzke worked at the Auto Fraud Legal Center from 2015 to 2023 before opening Auto Law. 

Mr. Klitzke has represented hundreds of individuals and entities in Auto Fraud and Lemon Law cases throughout California in state and federal courts. 

Mr. Klitzke’s most notorious case was Pulliam v. HNL Automotive, Inc., 13 Cal.5th 127 (2022). In this case, the dealership made false representations about a 2015 Nissan Altima. Because the dealership arranged the financing, Ms. Pulliam was able to sue the dealer and the finance company. The California Supreme Court ruled the finance company was required to pay all of the attorney fees incurred during the case in addition to having to pay to buyback the 2015 Nissan Altima. This case is extremely important because it makes it possible for consumers in California (eventually nationwide) to obtain an attorney with little or no money out of pocket because the attorney can recover their fees from the dealership and finance company at the end of the case.

Education

  • Thomas Jefferson School of Law, San Diego, California
    • 2014
    • Honors: summa cum laude
    • Honors: 2 of 201
    • Honors: National Competitor for the Mock Trial Team
    • Law Review, Thomas Jefferson School Law Review, Editor
  • San Diego State University
    • B.A. - 2011
    • Major: Political Science

Published Works

  • Michael Klitzke, Bypassing Bryant: A Bright-Line from Davis to Confrontation, 36 T. Jefferson L. Rev. Online 2015
  • Alan Mansfield & Michael Klitzke, How does Sanchez v. Valencia Holding Co. Change the Arbitration Equation in California, Association of Business Trial Lawyers (2015)
  • Marybeth Herald, Your Brain and Law School (2014) (editor)
  • Marjorie Cohn, Drones and Targeted Killing (2014) (editor)

Representative Cases

  • Pulliam v. HNL Automotive, Inc., 13 Cal.5th 127 (2022)

Honors

  • 2022 Best of the Bar for achieving one of the top 100 verdicts in California in 2022
  • Super Lawyers Rising Star
  • 2020 Who’s Who in America for the State of California
  • 2014 Who’s Who Among Students in American universities and Colleges
  • 2013 Neighborhood Hero – City of San Diego

Past Positions

  • Auto Fraud Legal Center, 2015-2023