Monday, April 25, 2005
Page 3
Girardi to Lead International Academy of Trial Lawyers
By a MetNews Staff Writer
Los Angeles trial attorney Thomas Girardi has been elected president of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers.
Girardi, who is a founding partner in the Los Angeles-based firm of Girardi & Keese, specializes in commercial litigation, product liability, toxic torts and bad faith cases. He is perhaps best known for serving as lead trial counsel in the litigation against Pacific Gas & Electric Company that was the subject of the film “Erin Brockovich.”
The IATL also recently inducted 14 new fellows into its ranks from across the nation. Membership in the groups is by invitation only and is limited to 500 active fellows from the United States and 100 from the rest of the world. Members include both civil and criminal law practitioners and those from both sides of the counsel table.
Among the 2005 inductees is Richard Marmaro of the Los Angeles firm of Proskauer Rose.
“The elite group of lawyers who have been inducted into the Academy represent the finest lawyers who defend corporate America and those who bring litigation against them,” Girardi said in a statement.
The mission of the IATL, which was founded in 1954, is to promote the reforms of law, facilitate the administration of justice, promote the rule of law internationally, elevate the standards of integrity, honor and courtesy in the legal profession, and cherish the spirit of brotherhood among the members.
Girardi has previously served as the national president of the American Board of Trial Advocates and was inducted into the Trial Lawyers Hall of Fame by the Litigation Section of the State Bar of California in 2003. He is a 1964 graduate of Loyola Marymount University law school and is an adjunct professor at the school.
In 2000, he donated $2.4 million to the law school to fund a state-of-the-art moot court facility, which was named in honor of his father, Albert Girardi.
“To serve as the president of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers, which is comprised of the finest lawyers in America, is an extraordinary honor,” Girardi said. “The organization stands for not only successful lawyering skills, but also civility and reasonableness in this advocacy environment.
“Internationally, IATL members represent exceptional skills and abilities in the trial and appellate practice as well as in their efforts to promote the best interests of the legal profession,” Girardi’s statement continued. “Through the IATL leadership team, the Academy will continue to carry out its international charitable contributions and promote its law education programs.”
Copyright 2005, Metropolitan News Company