Awards & Recognitions

The American College of Trial Lawyers is composed of the best of the trial bar from the United States and Canada and is widely considered to be the premier professional trial organization in America. Fellowship is extended only by invitation, after careful investigation, to those experienced trial lawyers who have mastered the art of advocacy and whose professional careers have been marked by the highest standards of ethical conduct, professionalism, civility and collegiality. Membership can never be more than 1% of the total lawyer population of any state or province. Qualified lawyers are called to Fellowship in the College from all branches of trial practice. They are selected from among advocates who represent plaintiffs or defendants in civil proceedings of all types, as well as prosecutors and criminal defense lawyers. Founded in 1950, the College is dedicated to maintaining and improving the standards of trial practice, the administration of justice and the ethics of the profession. Ed Garland and Don Samuel are members of the American College of Trial Lawyers.

Partners Ed Garland, Don Samuel, and Amanda Clark Palmer are fellows in the American Board of Criminal Lawyers (ABCL). This prestigious organization was founded in June 1978 as an exclusive national, legal, honorary society for outstanding criminal trial lawyers, with admission to fellowship by invitation only. To possess sufficient qualification for admission to fellowship, members must have successful major felony trial experience and exceptional recommendations from distinguished jurists and current Fellows attesting to each of the candidate’s high ethics as well as their litigation skills in the area of criminal defense. The primary concern of the ABCL is the preservation and the free exercise of fundamental freedoms for all those accused of criminal conduct. Over the years, ABCL Fellows have become regularly involved in high profile criminal cases throughout the country, where the principles of the Organization and the collective experience of the Fellows have made a worthwhile contribution. 

The International Academy of Trial Lawyers is a group of elite trial lawyers representing both sides of the Bar: prosecutors and defense lawyers in criminal cases, and plaintiffs’ and defense counsel in civil litigation. While the majority of the Fellows come from the U.S., the Academy includes lawyers from more than 30 countries. Fellowship is by invitation only, and trial lawyers are invited to become Fellows only after an extremely careful vetting process. As to U.S. Fellows, the Academy’s bylaws limit Fellowship to 500 active trial lawyers under the age of 70. The Academy’s purposes are to promote reforms in the law, facilitate the Administration of Justice, promote the Rule of Law internationally, and elevate the standards of integrity, honor and courtesy in the legal profession. Ed Garland is a member.

International Network of Boutique Law Firms (INBLF) is a network of highly credentialed single-discipline boutique law firms, across the United States and Canada. The INBLF brings together leading boutique firms across a full range of legal specialties in major commercial centers throughout the United States and Canada. The INBLF is not an organization a lawyer or law firm can join by paying a fee. The INBLF carefully reviews the qualifications each potential member and invites only those who represent the highest level of knowledge, experience, and reputation to join. Each member carries credentials comparable or superior to what can be found at the highest-ranking full-service firms, without the insulating layers of intermediate attorneys between the client and the lawyer, and without the concomitant exorbitant billing rates.