Dave graduated with honors from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. He earned his J.D. at George Washington University Law School in Washington D.C., where he completed two internships at the United States Department of Justice and also served as a judicial extern in the chambers of a federal district judge.

Before opening the Law Office of Dave Karlinsky, Dave practiced complex civil litigation at the downtown Oakland firm of Bell, Rosenberg & Hughes LLP.

Dave is a member of the trusts and estates sections of the Alameda County Bar Association and the California State Bar. He is also a licensed notary public.

Dave lives in North Oakland. He is a diehard A's fan, and hopes the team can stay in Oakland where it belongs.