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Indybay Feature

In Memoriam: Dan Siegel

by NLGSF
The SF Bay Area National Lawyers Guild sadly announces the passing of long time Guild member and activist Dan Siegel.
A police officer arrests Dan Siegel. Dan is looking directly into the camera and wears a green hat with the text "National Lawyers Guild Leg
Dan made an impact on the world and the Guild until his death on July 2, 2025 at age 79. From his famous Take the Park speech as a student protest leader at Berkeley to his speech to the crowd in Oakland at No Kings Day on June 14, 2025, Dan was always presente.

Dan was a true inspiration for Guild members. He tirelessly represented protestors, police misconduct victims and workers and unions for fifty years and was a partner at Oakland's Siegel Yee Brunner & Mehta at his death. Dan was honored by the Guild as a Champion of Justice in 2014.

Dan will be missed by the greater Guild community. We send our love support and admiration to Dan's family: Anne Weills, wife, long term Guild activist and member; Jonathan Siegel, brother and Guild board member; son Michael Siegel, stepson Christopher Sheer, grandchildren, and other family members, as well as our Guild family who worked with Dan at Siegel Yee Brunner & Mehta.

His family will be making arrangements for a memorial service.

Dan Siegel, Rest in Power!

Dan's family has shared an obituary for him through Berkeleyside, available here. Mayor Barbara Lee also wrote about Dan in a Facebook post.
§Oakland has lost a true champion, Dan Siegel
by Barbara Lee
Two close-up photographs of Dan Siegel's face.  On the left, a recent photo, and on the right, as a young man speaking on a microphone.
Oakland has lost a true champion. Dan Siegel, who I knew for many years, a pathbreaking civil rights lawyer and dear friend, passed away on July 2nd at age 79.

For five decades, Dan fought tirelessly for workers, unions, and human rights. From his early days as UC Berkeley student body president standing up to Ronald Reagan during the People's Park protests, to his groundbreaking legal victories protecting civil and labor rights, Dan never stopped fighting for justice.

As an Oakland School Board member and president, Housing Authority chair, and co-author of our community policing law, Dan helped shape the Oakland we know today. His work securing settlements to limit police use of force against peaceful protesters directly protected our community's right to organize and be heard.

Just weeks ago, Dan spoke at our "No Kings" rally, still fighting against white supremacy and for democracy at 79 years old. That was Dan - never backing down from the fight for what's right.

To Anne, Michael, Christopher, and the entire Siegel family: Oakland grieves with you. Dan's legacy of justice lives on in every life he touched and every victory he won for our community.

Rest in power, Dan. Your fight continues through all of us.
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