“What clients can expect from me and the entire firm is total commitment. We try cases. You won’t get top dollar in a settlement or verdict unless your lawyer is willing and able to try cases.”
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Howard Coker is President and a founding partner of our trial law firm, formed in 1976. Recognized by peers as a prominent Florida trial attorney, he is a passionate and active advocate for the cause of justice. He is focused on representing plaintiffs who have been seriously injured by accidents, product defects, premises liability and other forms of negligence. In the pursuit of justice, Mr. Coker has tried over 250 jury trials to conclusion and handled thousands of mediated settlements — a top record for results.
Mr. Coker is AV-rated by Martindale-Hubbell, board certified by The Florida Bar in Civil Trial Law, receiving this distinction in 1985. In 1987, the National Board of Trial Advocacy recognized him as a Civil Trial Specialist. He has a career-long record of providing support and leadership to a wide range of legal associations and civic organizations. In 1998, he was elected President of The Florida Bar. He also served as President of the Florida Justice Association (the state’s premiere plaintiffs’ trial organization) in 2002.
For his tireless service and consistent commitment to both professional and community organizations, Mr. Coker has received a number of significant awards and honors. He was named Lawyer of the Year by the Jacksonville Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocacy in 2003. In 2005, he was the recipient of the Florida Justice Association’s B.J. Masterson Award for Professionalism – an award that recognizes excellence in advocacy and noteworthy contributions to advancing both ethics and professionalism in the practice of law.
In 2006, the Florida Justice Association (FJA) honored him with their top recognition – the Perry Nichols Award for lifetime achievement and dedication to the pursuit of justice. Also in 2006, he received the W. McKinley Smiley, Jr. Award, presented by the Young Lawyers Section of the FJA to an attorney who has provided outstanding leadership, and support to the newest members of the legal profession. Each year since the program’s inception in 2006, Mr. Coker has been consistently chosen by peers as a Florida Super Lawyer and as a Top 100 Florida Super Lawyer. He was also selected by a survey of his peers to Florida Trend Magazine’s “Legal Elite,” a designation limited to the top 1% of attorneys in the state. In 2007, Mr. Coker was named “Jacksonville Lawyer of the Year” and was selected statewide as FLABOTA’s “Trial Lawyer of the Year.” In 2009, Mr. Coker was honored by the Florida Justice Association with the Al J. Cone Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2010, he was selected by Best Publications as Personal Injury Lawyer of the Year for Jacksonville, Florida.
Mr. Coker’s numerous professional affiliations include: President of the Florida Supreme Court Historical Society; Charter Member and Past President of the Jacksonville Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates; Fellow and Life Member of The Florida Bar Foundation; Florida Bar Board of Governors Member; Past Chair of The Florida Bar’s Executive Council of the Trial Lawyers Section; Past President of the Florida Federation of the American Board of Trial Advocates; Fellow of the American Bar Association; University of North Florida Adjunct Professor, and Trustee of the University of Florida Law School. In 2008, Mr. Coker was appointed by Florida’s Governor as a member of the Florida Supreme Court Judicial Nominating Commission. In 2010, Mr. Coker was appointed by the Florida Supreme Court to the Florida Innocence Commission.
In addition to these distinguished accomplishments in the field of law, Mr. Coker’s resume includes a long list of civic contributions. Key civic leadership positions held include: President of the Board of Directors of the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens; Life Sponsor, Past President, and “Sportsman of the Year” of Jacksonville Ducks Unlimited; Member of the Board of Directors for the Spina Bifida Association of Jacksonville; Past President of the Florida Conservation Association; Charter Life Member of the University of Florida National Alumni Association; Member of the President’s Council of the University of Florida National Alumni Association, and Learn to Read’s 2007 “Kiss the Pig” top fund raiser and Business Champion of the Year. In 2010, Mr. Coker was named by Best Lawyers as Personal Injury Lawyer of the Year for Jacksonville, Florida.
Additional Information 
vCard
- Personal
- Born: April 30, 1947 in Jacksonville, Florida
- Education
- University of Florida:
- Bachelor of Science (1969)
- Juris Doctor (1971)
- University of Florida:
- University Honors And Activities
- Phi Delta Phi
- Florida Blue Key
- Certifications
- Board Certified in Civil Trial Practice, The Florida Bar (1985)
- Board Certified Civil Trial Specialist by National Board of Trial Advocacy (1987)
- Bar Admissions
- Courts of the State of Florida
- U.S. District Court – Northern District of Florida
- U.S. District Court – Middle District of Florida
- U.S. District Court – Southern District of Florida
- U.S. Court of Appeals – 11th Circuit
- Supreme Court of the United States
- Professional Honors, Activities And Affiliations
- Jacksonville Bar Association
- The Florida Bar:
- President (1998-1999)
- Board of Governors (1994-1998)
- All Bar Conference Committee (1996)
- Annual Meeting Committee (1996)
- Chair, Board Review Committee on Professional Ethics
- Chair, Section Leadership Conference
- Budget Committee
- Chair, Program Evaluation Committee
- Executive Council of the Trial Lawyers Section (1987-1994)
(Chair, 1992-1993; Executive Committee, 1989-1992) - Council of Sections (1991-1994; Chair, 1993-1994)
- Basic Trial Advocacy School of The Florida Bar
- Faculty and Workshop Leader (1981-1992)
- Advanced Trial Advocacy School of The Florida Bar:
- Co-Chairman (1991)
- Faculty (1991-1994)
- Steering Committee (1992-1994)
- The Florida Bar Foundation: Fellow, Life Member
- American Bar Association:
- House of Delegates (1997-1999)
- Fellow, American Bar Foundation
- International Society of Barristers:
- Fellow (1998-present)
- International Academy of Trial Lawyers:
- Fellow (2001-present)
- Roscoe Pound Foundation
- Association of Trial Lawyers of America:
- Board Member (2003-2004)
- American Board of Trial Advocates:
- Charter Member; President, Jacksonville Chapter (1988)
- Diplomat (1995)
- Charter Fellow of the American Board of Trial Advocates
- Florida Federation of American Board of Trial Advocates:
- President (1997)
- Jacksonville Chapter Representative (1989-present)
- Florida Justice Association (Eagle Member):
- President (2002-2003)
- Board of Directors (1995-present)
- First Coast Trial Lawyers Association
- Florida Lawyer Association for the Maintenance of Excellence:
- Board of Directors (1995-1997)
- The Chester Bedell Memorial Foundation:
- Board of Trustees (1996-2001)
- The Chester Bedell Inns of Court Master (1997)
- Southern Trial Lawyers Association
- University of Florida Mock Trial Team Adviser (1991-1996)
- University of North Florida-Adjunct Professor:
- Torts: Personal Injury Litigation
- Legal Investigation for Legal Assistant Students
- University of Florida:
- National Alumni Association Charter Life Member
- President’s Council (1992-1994)
- Florida Supreme Court Historical Society (President, 2005-present)
- United States Supreme Court Historical Society
- Florida Supreme Court Judicial Nominating Commission (2008-present)
- Florida Innocence Commission Member (appointed 2010 by the Florida Supreme Court)
- Civic Activities
- Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens: Board of Directors, Chairman
- Florida Ducks Unlimited:
- Life Sponsor
- Area Chairman of the Year (1991-1992)
- Florida Conservation Association (President, 1994)
- Spina Bifida Association of Jacksonville Board of Directors
- Learn To Read:
- 2007 “Kiss the Pig” Top Fund Raiser
- 2007 “Business Champion of the Year”
- Recognitions
- AV-Rated by Martindale-Hubbell
- Million Dollar Advocates Forum
- The Best Lawyers in America
- Who’s Who in America?
- American Board of Trial Advocacy, 2003 “Lawyer of the Year”
- Florida Justice Association:
- Golden Eagle Award
- B.J. Masterson Award for Professionalism (2005)
- Perry Nichols Award (2006)
- W. McKinley Smiley, Jr. Award (2006)
- Al. J. Cone Lifetime Achievement Award (2009)
- Florida Super Lawyer:
- Selected each year since program’s inception in 2006
- Consistently selected as Top 100 Florida Super Lawyer
- 2007 Jacksonville Financial Times & Daily Record “Lawyer of the Year”
- 2007 FLABOTA’s “Trial Lawyer of the Year”
- Jacksonville’s Best Lawyers-Jacksonville Magazine (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009)
- 2009 Jacksonville Bar Association’s “True Champion For Diversity Award”
- 2010 Best Lawyers “Personal Injury Lawyer of the Year,” Jacksonville, FL
- Representative Publications And Presentations
- Speaker, Induction of Candidates for Admission to The Florida Bar, October 1998.
- Celebrity Roast Honoring Sheriff Nat Glover, Spina Bifida Association, Roaster, November 1998.
- “How to Motivate Members to Use The Florida Bar”– Speaker, Collier County Bar Association, Naples, December 1998.
- “Ethics and Professionalism” — Speaker, 1st DCA Appellate Seminar, Tallahassee, January, 1999.
- “Independence of the Judiciary” — Speaker, Clearwater Bar Association, March, 1999.
- Speaker, State Mock Trial Competition, Tallahassee, March, 1999.
- “Professionalism – It Counts”– Speaker, St. Thomas University School of Law, Miami, April 1999.
- “Preparing & Presenting the Effective Opening Statement”– Speaker, 1999 Advanced Trial Skills Seminar, Orlando, November 1999.
- “The Role of the Judicial Assistant with Lawyers”– Speaker, 2000 JAAF Winter Educational Conference, Jacksonville Beach, February, 2000.
- The Florida Bar’s Professionalism Seminar, Panelist, Florida Bar Convention, Boca Raton, June, 2000.
- “Successful Jury Selection Techniques” — Speaker, Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers, General Session Annual Convention, West Palm Beach, June 2001.
- “The Nuts & Bolts of Final Argument” — Speaker, Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers, Al J. Cone Trial Advocacy Institute, Orlando, August 2001.
- “Presentation of Voir Dire Examination in Areas of Pre-Existing Injuries and General Damages” — Speaker, Jacksonville Trial Lawyers Association, Jacksonville, May 2002.
- “Voir Dire/25 Mistakes Made by Attorneys”– Speaker, Inaugural Raymond Ehrlich Trial Advocacy Seminar, Jacksonville, June 2002.
- “Navigating the Minefield: Avoiding and Reacting to Improper Statements During Closing Arguments”– Speaker, The Florida Bar 2004 Advanced Evidence Seminar, Orlando, April 2004.
- Masters in Trial Seminar, Direct of Plaintiff’s Expert, Speaker, The American Board of Trial Advocates, June 2007.
- “Lessons from Courtroom Experience”– Panelist, Florida Justice Association, Jacksonville, September 2007.
- Delegation Member and Group Leader, People to People, Russia, November 2007.
- Diversity Symposium, Moderator, Jacksonville Bar Association, February, 2009.
- “Products Liability: Danger in the Marketplace”– Speaker, 2009 Florida College of Advanced Judicial Studies, June 2009.