Please PRINT this application form, and MAIL the completed, signed application to the address shown at the end of the form. If you have difficulty printing this form be sure you have clicked on this right white side of the page before trying to print it; or send an email to members@MillionDollarAdvocates.com and an application will be emailed or faxed to you.

If certification and membership are approved, a Million Dollar Advocates Forum membership certificate (see Membership Certificate), and a press release announcing the member's certification as a member, will be sent.  Members are authorized to hold themselves out as Life Members in any manner consistent with rules of professional conduct applicable in the jurisdiction(s) in which the member practices.  Members are authorized to use the identifying trademarks of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum subject to certain terms (see Use Of Logo By Members).

Fee: $950 (one-time fee for application, certification and Life Membership; refundable if membership & certification denied)

Please note: this is an application for membership in the Million Dollar Advocates Forum.  If you are qualified and interested in membership and certification in the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, please see Information Regarding The Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum.

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APPLICATION FOR MEMBERSHIP   
MILLION DOLLAR ADVOCATES FORUM ®

QUALIFICATIONS

The Million Dollar Advocates Forum was formed to give recognition to those trial lawyers, throughout the United States, who have achieved a verdict, award or settlement in the amount of One Million Dollars or more. The fact of such an accomplishment is a strong and tangible indicator of exceptional experience, skill and diligence on the part of the trial attorney. The primary purpose of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum is to certify such attorneys as members, providing recognition of accomplishment and a national network of experienced colleagues.

MEMBERSHIP QUALIFICATIONS
Members of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum must meet the following qualifications:
(Please see the "INFORMATION" page of this website for answers to frequent questions about the details of qualification in specific circumstances)

1. Applicant must be a current member of the Bar in good standing.

2. Applicant must have acted as principal counsel in one or more of the following:

a) A court or jury trial in which the applicant's client(s) received a verdict and entered final judgment in the amount of one million dollars or more.  Summary adjudication or default proceedings do not qualify.  The case must be final and not subject to appeal or other possible modification.

b) A binding arbitration proceeding, where evidence was presented, in which the applicant's client(s) received a final arbitrator's award in the amount of one million dollars or more.

c) Negotiation of a final settlement in which the applicant's client(s) received the sum of one million dollars or more.

3. Whether by trial, arbitration or settlement, if the award was by periodic payments or structured settlement, the one million dollar amount must apply to the economic present value of the award, not the overall payout amount.

4. Applicants must provide adequate information as to case identity to allow for verification. In most cases, certification will proceed upon the declarations of the applicant attorney. It is understood that there are confidential settlements which do not allow for case identification. In such cases, the applicant may provide a general description of the case, certifying such description as true.

_________________________

The term "principal counsel" is intended to include the one or more attorneys who were primarily in charge of and responsible for the preparation, management and settlement/ arbitration/ trial of a qualifying case. It is not necessarily limited to one attorney, nor is it limited to lead (i.e. "first chair") trial counsel. It is recognized that the responsibility for, and management of, a complex case often involves a team of attorneys who serve as co-principal counsel with different responsibilities. However, it is not intended to include an attorney simply because he or she worked on the case, referred the case or brought the case into the office. It is presumed that an applicant who states that he or she was "principal counsel" in a qualifying case has clarified that status (as defined herein) with any co-counsel and that there is agreement among all co-counsel that the applicant acted in the capacity of principal counsel.

 

APPLICATION FOR MEMBERSHIP AND CERTIFICATION

Fee: $950 (one-time fee for application, certification and Life Membership; refundable if membership & certification denied)

NAME (as it should appear on certificate):

_________________________________________________________________________

ADDRESS:_______________________________________________________________

CITY:_________________________________ STATE:_________ ZIP:_____________

TEL:_____________________ FAX:__________________ EMAIL:________________

 

STATE(S) IN WHICH YOU ARE CURRENTLY A MEMBER IN GOOD STANDING OF THE BAR, AND YEAR OF BAR ADMISSION:

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

 

LAW SCHOOL:__________________________________________________________

DEGREE:_______________________ YEAR: ________________

 

SPECIALTY/ NATURE OF PRACTICE (Note: Unless otherwise requested, this information will be included in a press release provided to you at the time of your membership certification. The press release will provide that "{MEMBER} is a graduate of {LAW SCHOOL} and specializes in {SPECIALTY}". The description of the Specialty/ Nature of Practice may include up to 150 characters.)

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

FIRM NAME:__________________________________________________________

FIRM WEBSITE: www.___________________________________________________
If the applicant's firm name and firm website are listed above, they will be included in the membership press release.

 

DECLARATION OF APPLICANT ATTORNEY

I have acted as principal counsel in at least one case in which my client(s) received a trial verdict (and entered final judgment), binding arbitration award or settlement in the (present value) amount of one million dollars or more. In support of this application, I offer the following information as to one such case:

Case Name:_____________________________________________________________

Identity of Court and Docket Number (e.g., Superior Court of the State of California, Los Angeles County, No. 123456):

_______________________________________________________________________

Name of Client(s) Represented:_____________________________________________

Nature of Case:__________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

NOTE: Qualification details are stated at the top of this Application.  Further qualification details regarding specific case situations (confidential settlements, appeals, settlements after trial or appeal, etc.) are stated at the Membership Information page at www.MillionDollarAdvocates.com

If Concluded by TRIAL

Court or Jury?______________________

Verdict Date:_______________________

Amount of Verdict in Favor of Your Client(s): _________________________________

Do You Have Access to a Copy of Such Verdict?_______________________________

Was This a Summary Adjudication or Default Proceeding?_______________________

Is the Judgment Entered and Final?__________________________________________

Is the Judgment Subject to New Trial, Appeal or other Possibility of Modification or Reversal?

________________________________________________________________________

What Was the Amount of the Final and Entered Judgment?_______________________

If Subsequently Settled For a Different Amount, Please Complete Settlement Section Below

 

If Concluded by BINDING ARBITRATION

Name of Arbitrator:_______________________________________________________

Award Date:________________________ Amount: _____________________________

Was Evidence Presented?______________________________

Do You Have Access to Documents Verifying the Award?________________________

Is the Award Final and Not Subject To Court Approval, Appeal or Modification?__________

Is the Final Amount of the Award One Million Dollars or More?___________________

If Subsequently Settled For a Different Amount, Please Complete Settlement Section Below

 

If Concluded by SETTLEMENT

Amount of Settlement (Present Economic Value at Time of Settlement):

Amount:______________________________ Date:______________________________

Do You Have Access to Copies of Settlement Documents?________________________

Has Such Amount Been Paid? _______________________________________________

If the settlement amount has not yet been paid in full, please explain on a separate page: 1) the terms of payment pursuant to the settlement agreement; 2) any structured or periodic payments to be made, their present economic value at the time of settlement and the basis for such present value; 3) whether the settlement is final, in writing and fully executed by all parties,  and not subject to further approval or modification (by court or otherwise).

If concluded by CONFIDENTIAL SETTLEMENT, please provide information on a separate page (to the extent allowed by the terms of the settlement) as to case identity, jurisdiction, case type and terms.

 

I HEREBY CERTIFY, as a member of the bar, that all of the foregoing information is true. I understand that the accuracy and truthfulness of this application will be relied upon in granting me certification and membership in the Million Dollar Advocates Forum. I further understand and agree that I may (if so certified) hold myself out as a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum in any manner consistent with rules of professional conduct which may apply to me; however, I may not in any way act on behalf of or purport to represent the Million Dollar Advocates Forum.  I may use the logo and other identifying trademarks of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum to indicate my membership status only as described at the website www.MillionDollarAdvocates.com

I HAVE READ THE "QUALIFICATIONS" STATED ON PAGE ONE OF THIS APPLICATION. I AM QUALIFIED UNDER ALL SUCH REQUIREMENTS.

 

Executed on__________________________ at _______________________________

 

 

X_____________________________________ (Applicant's Signature)
 

Please mail the completed signed application, with your check in the amount of $950 (payable to Million Dollar Advocates Forum) to:

Million Dollar Advocates Forum
P.O. Box 2684
Del Mar, California 92014
 

courier deliveries (such as Fed Ex) may be sent to the following street address:
Million Dollar Advocates Forum
c/o Costello Law Offices
4660 La Jolla Village Drive, Ste 500
San Diego, CA 92122

Fed. Tax ID #20-2226709

(end of Application For Membership)

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 Website Link on Member List (Optional)

Many members have requested that we offer the option of including a link to the member's firm website on the member list (in addition to the usual listing of the member's name, city and state) and we are now doing so on an annual fee basis as described below.  Please note that this is completely optional for members.  Members are not required to pay any annual or other fees or dues to maintain their membership status. 

Currently all members are listed in the Member Directory in the following style:

          Smith, John J   San Francisco, CA

The optional website link option is in the following style:

          Smith, John J   San Francisco, CA
          Smith, Jones & Wilson
          www.sjwlawfirm.com  (web link)

The website link is a direct link to the member's own firm website.  The annual fee to add and maintain such a firm website link is $300 per year. 

If you wish to subscribe to such a website link listing, please provide the following information and include a separate check in the amount of $300
 

          Member Name: ____________________________________________________________
 

          Firm Name:________________________________________________________________
 

          Firm Website: www.________________________________________________________

Note that the listing is for your website address, not your email address. 

TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION

• 1 Year Subscription $300.  Members who wish to have their firm name and website link added to the Member List as described above will pay $300 per year.  Million Dollar Advocates Forum (MDAF) will add and maintain such information and link for a period of one year, commencing with the date the link is added and activated.

• Modifications/ Changes  Allowed.  If the member wishes to modify such firm name or website information during the subscription, he or she may do so without additional charge by contacting MDAF by mail or email and making such request.

• Renewal By Member Optional.  Prior to the expiration of the one year subscription period MDAF will notify the member of the approaching expiration date by email and/or mail.  The member may then renew or not renew the subscription.  If not renewed, the listing will expire and the firm name and website information will be removed from the Member List.

• Refunds.  If for any reason MDAF chooses to discontinue such optional firm website listing service, it may do so and will refund to the member a pro rated refund of the amount paid based on the time remaining on the member's paid subscription.  Likewise, if the member decides for any reason to discontinue such subscription during the one year period, he or she may contact MDAF in writing and MDAF will discontinue the service and refund to the member the pro rata amount of the remaining paid subscription term (beginning with the first day of the month following receipt of such notice).

• MDAF may from time to time alter the above appearance of such listings (typeface, style, color, layout, etc) in its discretion to improve the appearance or function of the member list.

• Any liability of MDAF for listing errors (i.e.- firm name spelling, website address, etc) is limited to the cost of the subscription.  Member agrees to review his or her listing after it is added and advise MDAF if any corrections are necessary.

• If  membership is not approved, payment for such subscription (as well as all fees for application and membership ) will be returned to applicant.

• By choosing to participate in the optional website link service and sending such payment to MDAF, the member accepts these terms.