The National Trial Lawyers is recognized within the legal profession as a bona fide professional organization that makes its selection decisions based on uniformly applied, objective criteria. Founded in 2008, The NTL has operated continuously with publicly available selection standards, documented vetting procedures, and annual reevaluation of active members. Its membership reflects a broad and reasonable cross-section of civil plaintiff and criminal defense trial lawyers across the jurisdictions it represents.
In addition to its membership structure, The NTL publishes Trial Lawyer Magazine, hosts the nationally recognized Trial Lawyers Summit, presents more than ten educational programs through NTL Events, including The Business of Law, and maintains the Trial Lawyer Hall of Fame. These initiatives demonstrate the organization’s ongoing professional activity and established standing within the trial bar.
The NTL is led by nationally recognized trial lawyers, including Mark Geragos, Bobby Saadian, Gloria Allred, Elizabeth Cabraser, Brian Panish, Rachel Lanier, Roxy S. Shekarriz, and Timothy Walker-Dupler. Their leadership reflects the organization’s depth, credibility, and national standing within the trial bar.
The Florida Bar has previously determined that The National Trial Lawyers designations are permissible for attorney advertising because they are conferred by a bona fide organization applying objective selection standards consistent with professional conduct rules. Texas has adopted similar regulatory language, and The NTL has operated without issue under that framework.
NTL membership provides meaningful professional benefits, including educational programming, advocacy training, networking opportunities, access to publications, and participation in nationally recognized legal events.
“Top 100” and “Top 40 Under 40” are membership designations within The National Trial Lawyers. They are not awards, rankings, comparative scoring systems, numerical ordering of attorneys, or lifetime distinctions.
Attorneys are evaluated individually against established eligibility and vetting criteria and are not ranked or compared to one another. No internal scoring or hierarchy exists among members.
Use of the designation is limited to attorneys with active membership status. If membership lapses, prior membership may be referenced only if the dates are accurate. All members are subject to annual reevaluation to ensure continued eligibility.
Selection is based on an objective, uniformly applied process that includes independent third-party research, professional background and licensure review, public records and media research, and, at times, peer nomination. Membership is extended only to attorneys who meet defined eligibility requirements and demonstrate professional qualifications in areas such as leadership, litigation experience, reputation, influence, and professional stature. Attorneys are evaluated individually against established criteria and are not ranked or compared to one another. All standards are applied uniformly and in compliance with applicable state bar and model rules.
Prospective members of The NTL are carefully screened before receiving an invitation to join. Top 100 members are generally required to have been in practice as civil plaintiff or criminal defense lawyers for a minimum of ten (10) years. All Top 40 Under 40 lawyers are required to be forty (40) years of age or younger at the time of selection and are generally required to have a minimum of three (3) years in practice as civil plaintiff or criminal defense lawyers. All members must be, and remain, in good standing with their respective state regulatory bodies.
The National Trial Lawyers’ mission is to recognize superior trial lawyers and to promote excellence and foster diversity in the legal profession through advocacy training, networking, and education of trial lawyers. The NTL promotes and endorses legal educational programs, including the Trial Lawyers Summit, which has occurred annually since 2011. The goal is to enable members to draw upon the association's strong training, educational, and networking resources, so they may have benefits that were either unavailable or difficult to find on their own.
Because the membership includes both civil plaintiff and criminal defense attorneys, members have valuable opportunities to gain ideas, referrals, and strategies from the premier lawyers who make up The NTL membership.
NTL established the Trial Lawyer Hall of Fame which resides at Temple Law School. Each year, the Trial Lawyer Hall of Fame recognizes and honors remarkable lawyers, both past and present, who have left an indelible mark on the American legal tradition through a lifetime of service to the American public, the Constitution, and the American trial bar.
Other events presented or affiliated with The National Trial Lawyers include The Business of Law, Mass Torts Made Perfect (MTMP), and Lanier Trial Academy Master Class.
Selection research and supervision are conducted by a dedicated team experienced in attorney vetting and membership evaluation. Primary decision-makers have substantial tenure overseeing the process, and a Membership Committee composed of attorneys provides additional oversight when appropriate. All nominated attorneys are subject to the same review and uniformly applied standards.
The National Trial Lawyers publishes its selection process for transparency. Membership designations may be used only during active membership and are not rankings or comparative distinctions. The organization exists to promote excellence, diversity, education, and professional development within the trial bar.
The National Trial Lawyers is recognized as a bona fide professional organization under The Florida Bar’s attorney advertising rules. The Florida Bar has expressly identified The National Trial Lawyers as a legitimate organization that attorneys may reference in advertising.
For additional guidance, see The Florida Bar’s Advertising Update.
The National Trial Lawyers (NTL) is an invitation-only professional organization founded in 2008. It is comprised of four defined membership divisions: The National Trial Lawyers Top 100 – Civil Plaintiff, The National Trial Lawyers Top 100 – Criminal Defense, The National Trial Lawyers Top 40 Under 40 – Civil Plaintiff, and The National Trial Lawyers Top 40 Under 40 – Criminal Defense.
“Top 100” and “Top 40 Under 40” are structured membership designations within the organization and are not awards, rankings, or comparative distinctions. These categories do not refer to the top lawyers nationally. Instead, membership is organized by state and, where appropriate, by geographic regions within a state, with fixed numerical limits designed to ensure balanced representation.
This structure promotes a reasonable cross-section of civil plaintiff and criminal defense trial lawyers reflective of the jurisdictions they serve, from major metropolitan areas to rural communities.
As of December 2025, The National Trial Lawyers has nearly 9,000 active members nationwide. For example, California accounts for 1,025 active members, representing approximately 11.8% of total membership — generally consistent with California’s proportion of the U.S. population and practicing attorneys. California membership is further regionalized into eight geographic areas to promote fair and local representation.