Jay A Kaplan was born in Los Angeles, California into a family with a tradition of being lawyers. He attended college at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) where he graduated with the highest academic honors, Summa Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa. Jay earned his law degree at U.S.C. and Whittier Law Schools.
While attending school, Jay clerked for the Magana Cathcart Law Firm, which had represented injured railroad workers under the FELA since the early 1950's. Following his graduation from law school, Jay went into solo practice until 1981 when he helped found the law firm of Kaplan, Zorigian & Kaplan. In 1991, he founded the present Law Firm of Kaplan Law Corporation.
Jay is licensed to practice in all of the Courts of California including the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals where he has successfully won cases. He is a member of the Academy of Rail Labor Attorneys (ARLA), the Consumer Attorneys of California and the Association of Trial Lawyers of America. Additionally over the past thirty five years, Martindale Hubble has yearly listed him as AV Preeminent, which is the highest possible peer review rating for legal ability and ethical standards conferred by that organization after a rigorous screening process.