Baldwin Award

Milwaukee lawyer Jay Urban of Urban Taylor & Lee s.c. was recently honored with the F. Scott Baldwin Award for "Most Outstanding Young Trial Lawyer" by the Association of Trial Lawyers of America (ATLA) at its annual convention in Atlanta, Georgia. The Baldwin award, named after a world-renowned trial lawyer of Texas, is presented in recognition of the legendary degree of excellence and compassion that Mr. Baldwin has brought to the legal profession and the significant time he invested in training, preparing and encouraging new lawyers. The Baldwin award recognizes an individual who has made significant contribution to the New Lawyers Division of ATLA, and who has achieved some outstanding litigation results in the practice of law.

Urban is a founding shareholder of Urban Taylor & Lee s.c. where he focuses on the representation of individuals and families who have been injured or wronged by others. He handles only personal injury, product liability, professional malpractice and employee harassment/discrimination cases. Urban received his law degree from Marquette University in 1992 and his undergraduate degree from UW-Madison in 1989. He also completed the Ultimate Trial Advocacy course at Harvard University Law School in early 2002.

Urban credits his roots with his inspiration to achieve for his clients. "I could not begin to thank those back home: my parents in my hometown of Tomah and my wife, Alicia, who continue toinstill fundamental belief in helping others, Jane Garrott and many great Wisconsin trial lawyers who share their selfless dedication to our cause, and my law partners who are my heroes of justice," he noted. "They know best my love for this organization and my commitment for those I serve."

Urban shared the award with Florida lawyer Kenneth Spiegelman, and it was the first time that a Wisconsin lawyer has ever received the Baldwin award. The two were selected by their peers this year due to their unwaivering dedication to the ideals of ATLA and to the practice of trial law.

ATLA's New Lawyer Division chairs Kirk Wagar and Jeffrey Padwa announced the honor at an awards reception attended by dozens of this organization's members and leaders. In bestowing the award, Padwa stated that "Jay Urban is dedicated to promoting safety as a goal for each of his cases, and this focus in the societal interest has led to increased safety for Americans — his case record stnds for the proposition of 'safety first'."

As another factor in his selection, Urban was cited for his longstanding promotion of public service by founding various state and national trial lawyer programs including "Santa Brings a Law Suit" where suits were collected from convention attendees and were distributed to individuals in need of job interviews and employment; and "Project Safety Phone" where used mobile phones were donated from members and given to victims of domestic violence to be able to call 911 in case of emergency. Both programs have become traditions of goodwill, and the "Law Suit" endeavor was later adopted by the State Bar of Wisconsin.

Urban was previously recognized by ATLA in 1998 when he obtained the Outstanding State New Lawyer Division award at the annual convention in Washington, D.C. for his successes as Chairperson of Wisconsin's New Lawyer Section. "I have always admired what our state and national trial lawyer organizations can do for the public as a whole," he said. "Without the lobbying and educational efforts of consumer lawyers and their clients, the general population has no active representative promoting community safety in out courts and legislature."