Each year, Public Justice is proud to present its Trial Lawyer of the Year Award to the attorneys or legal team who made the greatest contribution to the public interest within the past year by trying or settling a precedent-setting or socially significant case.
Typically, the cases won or settled by finalists cover a broad range of public interest work, including but not limited to civil rights, consumer protection, workers’ rights, human rights, environmental preservation, and corporate and governmental accountability.
The finalists are honored at the Public Justice Foundation's Annual Gala and Awards Dinner, where the winner of the Trial Lawyer of the Year Award is announced. The winning case and those of the finalists are featured in the Foundation's annual Trial Lawyers Doing Public Justice, a widely disseminated publication.
To qualify, the verdict of final settlement approval in the case must have occurred between April 1 of the preceding year and April 1 of the current year.
Measuring A Case Using the Public Justice Award Criteria
Members of the Public Justice Foundation’s Case Evaluation Committee evaluate nominated cases using the following criteria:
1. The dedication, tenacity, and skill of the trial lawyer involved. This includes the length of the case, the strategic and tactical skill involved, the obstacles and pitfalls overcome, the difficulty of the procedural hurdles, and trial strategy.
2. The public interest significance of the case. This includes the public interest issues that were litigated, the novelty of the issues involved, the importance of the case, whether the case made “new law,” and whether it affected others similarly situated.
3. The harmfulness of the defendant’s conduct. This includes the enormity of the wrong committed by the defendant and the degree of suffering or victimization of the plaintiffs.
4. The result. This includes the specific relief obtained and whether it is final, including the amount of damages and/or the nature and extent of injunctive relief obtained, any other results obtained, the current status of the case, and whether an appeal was taken and won.
5. The extent to which the case advances any of the goals set forth in our vision statement: Public Justice is a national public interest law firm that marshals the skills and resources of trial lawyers to create a more just society. Through creative litigation, public education, and innovative work with the broader public interest community, we:
* protect people and the environment;
* hold accountable those who abuse power;
* challenge governmental, corporate, and individual wrongdoing;
* increase access to the courts;
* combat threats to our judicial system; and
* inspire lawyers and others to serve the public interest.
The deadline for nominations for each year's Award is April 1 When that date falls on a weekend, the deadline is the first Monday following April 1.
For more information about the Trial Lawyer of the Year Award, please contact Deborah Mathis, Communications Director, at (202) 797-8600, Extension 246 or dmathis@publicjustice.net.