ABOUT THE AWARD
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 will be featured in Public Justice's compendium of highlights for the year.
Read about the Winner of the 2011 Trial Lawyer of the Year Award and the four finalist cases.
To qualify, the verdict or final settlement approval in the case must have occurred between March 16 of the preceding year and March 16 of the award year.
NOMINATING A TRIAL ATTORNEY OR LITIGATION TEAM
Nominations for the Public Justice Trial Lawyer of the Year Award should include:
(1) the name of the case that the nominee won or settled;
(2) the outcome of the case;
(3) the date of the verdict or final settlement approval (on or after March 16, 2011 and before March 16, 2012);
(4) information about how the case impacts the public interest, a summary of the trial lawyers’ skills and resources demonstrated, and/or a description of obstacles that the plaintiff’s counsel overcame in fighting for public justice is helpful; and
(5) a brief explanation of why you believe the attorney or litigation team deserves the award.
We welcome news clippings about the case as part of the nomination materials, but please do not send videotapes or DVDs.
The Public Justice Foundation will send a request for detailed information, including a form to complete, to the nominated lawyer or legal team.
The deadline for nominations is Friday, March 16, 2012. The Public Justice Foundation will announce the finalists for the Trial Lawyer of the Year Award in June 2012. The winner(s) will be announced at Public Justice’s 30th Annual Awards Dinner & Gala in Chicago in July 2012.
Trial Lawyer of the Year Award nominations may be sent via letter, e-mail or fax to Communications Director Deborah Mathis at Public Justice Foundation’s national headquarters, 1825 K Street, NW, Suite 200, Washington, D.C. 20006. E-mail to: dmathis@publicjustice.net. Fax to: 202-232-7203. If you send an e-mail, please put “TLOY Nomination” in the subject line.
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.
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.