On April 14, 2011, Joseph W. Cotchett was inducted into the American Trial Lawyer Hall of Fame for his lifetime of trying cases for the underdog, taking on the established and handling exceptional pro bono cases. The Trial Lawyer Hall of Fame is the highest national honor and recognition of trial lawyers in America. The American Trial Lawyer Hall of Fame was established to honor exceptional trial lawyers throughout American history. The inductees have exceeded the expectations of the public and their peers by establishing themselves, through their practice, as strong advocates for our system of American justice.
Others inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2011 were Fred Gray, Elaine Jones and Sheldon Schlesinger. Gray was acknowledged for representing Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King and remains a strong advocate for eliminating racial discrimination in the South. Jones was acknowledged for leading the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational fund, being the first black woman to defend death row inmates and has contributed a lifetime of pro bono work. Schlesinger was acknowledged for extraordinary jury verdicts for victims along with dedicating his work and money to civic and charitable causes in Florida. He was one of the attorneys representing the State of Florida in the Tobacco litigation.