Activist trial lawyer Thomas M. Dempsey of the Law Offices of Thomas M. Dempsey in Los Angeles was elected President of The TLPJ Foundation on July 25, 2005 at the organization’s annual membership meeting in Toronto, Ontario. The TLPJ Foundation is the nonprofit parent of Trial Lawyers for Public Justice (TLPJ), the national public interest law firm dedicated to using trial lawyers’ skills and resources to advance the public good.

"Tom is one of our nation’s most dedicated advocates of public justice,” said outgoing TLPJ Foundation President Jeffrey M. Goldberg of the Law Offices of Jeffrey M. Goldberg in Chicago. “We are thrilled to have such an exceptional attorney and distinguished leader at our helm.”

Mr. Dempsey is an accomplished trial lawyer who specializes in professional negligence, products liability, and premises liability with an emphasis on traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries His history of leadership positions in the legal community over 30 years.  He is a past President of the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles (CAALA), and CAALA honored him with its Outstanding Chapters President Award in 1993. The Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles honored him with its Ted Horn Memorial Award in 1992 for his outstanding contribution to the profession. He was an Adjunct Professor of Law at Whittier College of Law from 1979 to 1985, and a Professor at Southwestern University School of Law from 1975 to 1979. He received his J.D. from the University of Oregon School of Law in 1969, and a B.A. from the University of California at Los Angeles in 1964. His association with TLPJ is long-standing, and he has served on The TLPJ Foundation’s Executive Committee since 2000.

Three other California attorneys have served as Presidents of The TLPJ Foundation:

•    Joseph W. Cotchett of Cotchett, Pitre, Simon & McCarthy in Burlingame, California; •    J. Gary Gwilliam of Gwilliam, Ivary, Chiosso, Cavalli & Brewer in Oakland; and

•    Sal Liccardo of The Liccardo Law Firm in Saratoga, California.

 

Also at the July 25 annual meeting, four other attorneys were elected new TLPJ Foundation officers:
 

•    President-Elect Alan R. Brayton of Brayton ♦ Purcell in Novato, California; 

•    Vice President Sandra H. Robinson of Jack Olender & Associates in Washington, D.C.;

•    Treasurer Gerson H. Smoger, Ph.D. of Smoger & Associates in Dallas; and

•    Secretary Mona L. Wallace of Wallace & Graham, P.A. in Salisbury, North Carolina.

Harry G. Deitzler of Hill, Peterson, Carper, Bee & Deitzler in Charleston, West Virginia, George W. Shadoan of Shadoan & Michael in Rockville, Maryland, and James C. Sturdevant of The Sturdevant Law Firm in San Francisco were re-elected to the Executive Committee.

Seven other attorneys were also elected as new TLPJ Foundation Board members:

•     Wilbur O. Colom of The Colom Law Firm, P.A. in Columbus, Mississippi;

•     James Early of Early, Ludwick & Sweeney in New Haven, Connecticut;

•     Bruce D. Goodman of Steinberg Polacek & Goodman in Chicago;

•     Virginia Adams Marentette of Baron & Budd, P.C. in Dallas;

•     Vincent Moccio of Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi, L.L.P. in Minneapolis;

•     Roger L. Pardieck of the Pardieck Law Firm in Seymour, Indiana; and

•     Jill Webb of Phillips Law Office in Chicago.