The Inner Circle of Advocates

Recognition Among the Nation’s Top 100 Plaintiffs’ Trial Lawyers 

Good trial attorneys may receive any number of awards that recognize their skill and courtroom success. Few, however, can say they’ve earned a spot among the nation’s most respected litigators. But for Founding Attorney Thomas Strong and Partner Steven Garner, that’s precisely the case.

Tom and Steve are two of a select group of attorneys to have earned membership in the Inner Circle of Advocates, an exclusive legal organization comprised of the best plaintiffs’ trial lawyers in the country. 

• Steve Garner is an Active Member of the Inner Circle of Advocates, making him one of just 100 attorneys in the entire country to hold this distinction.
• Tom Strong is a Member Emeritus of the Inner Circle (one of 36) who has retained his honorary title after having retired from formal practice. 

What it Means to be Part of the ‘Inner Circle’

Inclusion among the Inner Circle of Advocates is one of the most prestigious honors a trial lawyer can achieve. It speaks volumes about the respect Tom and Steve have garnered over the course of their careers, and the millions of dollars they’ve recovered on behalf of plaintiffs in complex civil claims.

The Inner Circle of Advocates was created in 1972 to unite the nation’s most accomplished plaintiff-side trial attorneys. Though they’re spread across the country, Inner Circle members work collectively in pursuit of justice and the organization’s mission to promote the highest standards of courtroom competence and mutual fellowship among outstanding trial lawyers. The Inner Circle’s collaborative work can be seen in some of the country’s largest and most important cases. 

As an invitation-only organization, the Inner Circle limits membership to just 100 attorneys. These attorneys are exceptionally qualified, respected by their peers, and highly experienced in complex litigation. Like Tom Strong and Steve Garner, they have excelled in their areas of practice and have cultivated reputations as legal innovators capable of taking on the most powerful corporations in the world. 

In addition to assessing applicants on these criteria, the Inner Circle also requires members to have at least three verdicts of $1 million or a recent verdict in excess of $10 million.