JACKSONVILLE, Fl - March 24, 2008 - Jacksonville lawyers A. Graham Allen, Jeptha T. Barbour, and Rodney S. Margol have become Fellows of the American College of Trial Lawyers (ACTL), widely considered to be the premier professional organization composed of pre-eminent trial lawyers in the U.S. and Canada. The fourth attorney inducted was Francis McDonald from Orlando.
The induction ceremony at which Allen, Barbour and Margol became Fellows took place recently before an audience of approximately 700 persons during the recent 2008 Spring Meeting of the College in Tucson, Arizona.
Founded in 1950, the College is composed of the best of the trial bar from the United States and Canada. Fellowship in the College is extended by invitation only and only 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. Lawyers must have a minimum of fifteen years trial experience before they can be considered for Fellowship.
Fellowship in the College cannot exceed one percent of the total lawyer population of any state or province. There are currently approximately 5,675 Fellows in the United States and Canada, including active Fellows, Emeritus Fellows, Judicial Fellows (those who ascended to the bench after their induction) and Honorary Fellows.
The College is dedicated to furthering the administration of justice and improving the ethics and standards of the trial profession. Qualified lawyers are called to Fellowship in the College from all branches of trial practice. The College is thus able to speak with a balanced voice on important issues affecting the legal profession and the administration of justice.
Allen is a member of the firm of Rogers Towers, P.A., where he serves as chair of the Litigation Department, and practices in the areas of commercial and construction litigation