Robbins & Curtin, PLLC receives 2013 U.S. News – Best Lawyers® “Best Law Firms” Ranking
On January 29, 2013U.S. News Media Group and Best Lawyers® have included Robbins & Curtin, PLLC in the 2013 “Best Law Firms” rankings. These rankings provide a comprehensive view of the U.S. legal profession that is unprecedented both in the range of firms represented and in the range of qualitative and quantitative data used to develop them.
The U.S.News – Best Lawyers® “Best Law Firms” rankings are based on a rigorous evaluation process that includes the collection of client and lawyer evaluations, peer review from leading attorneys in their field, and review of additional information provided by law firms as part of the formal submission process.
To be eligible for a ranking, a law firm must have at least one lawyer who is included in Best Lawyers as part of the annual peer review assessment. Both Joel Robbins and John Curtin have received that distinction year after year. For more information on Best Lawyers®, please visit bestlawyers.com.
Attorney Joel Robbins comments on the $3.25 Million Wrongful Death Settlement for the Deborah Braillard Case
On December 4, 2012Click here to read the story and view the video footage from ABC channel 15. After going back to court, the Braillard case concluded in November with Maricopa County agreeing to pay $3.25 million to settle the case involving the 2005 death of the diabetic inmate.
Robbins & Curtin attorneys featured in Arizona’s Best Lawyers 2012 Edition
On July 30, 2012An excerpt from the 2012 edition of The Best Lawyers in America was included with Sunday’s copy of The Arizona Republic. In it, John M. Curtin and Joel B. Robbins were listed among the best Personal Injury Litigation attorneys in Arizona.
The method used to compile Best Lawyers remains unchanged since the first edition was compiled more than 25 years ago. Lawyers are chosen for inclusion based solely on the vote of their peers. Listings cannot be bought, and no purchase is required to be included.
Congratulations, John and Joel!
Robbins & Curtin Wins Federal Pink Underwear Appeal
On March 14, 2012Eric Vogel was a seriously mentally ill young man. Shortly following an arrest in 2001, Maricopa County jail officers recognized his psychotic state, and he was ordered to be transferred to the psych unit. However, as a precondition to being taken to the psych unit, detention officers required that he “dress out” into the jail-issued pink underwear. Eric, in the midst of an active psychosis, believed that he was being raped during this process. The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, in a published opinion, held that the trial court had erred in excluding evidence regarding the pink underwear. The federal appellate court held:
That he had been dressed in pink was not a delusion. But what was essential to the plaintiff’s case was Wagner’s testimony that the shock and humiliation of the “dress-out” in pink was preying on his mind. The court’s suppression of any reference to pink underwear was an abuse of discretion. . . .
When a color of such symbolic significance is selected for jail underwear, it is difficult to believe that the choice of color was random. The County offers no penalogical reason, indeed no explanation whatsoever for its jail’s odd choice. Given the cultural context, it is a fair inference that the color is chosen to symbolize a loss of masculine identity and power, to stigmatize the male prisoners as feminine.
Wagner v. County of Maricopa, — F.3d –, 2012 WL 718490, slip op. at 4 (9th Cir. 2012).
Evan Haglund and Joel Robbins drafted the briefs, and John Curtin argued the matter before the Court in San Francisco. A complete copy of the opinion can be found here.
For media coverage of the opinion and the Vogel case, please refer to “Vogel, Eric” on our Press page.
Attorney John Curtin receives highest rating from Avvo
On March 13, 2012Please join us in congratulating attorney John Curtin for receiving the Avvo Superb Rating. This is a meaningful credential earned by a select few in the legal community. It reflects critical facts about John’s career – his hard work, superb professional conduct and experience. Congratulations, John!
Click here to view John Curtin’s Avvo profile.
Robbins & Curtin, PLLC receives Best Law Firms 2011-2012 Ranking
On February 21, 2012Robbins & Curtin, PLLC has received the U.S. News, Best Lawyers “Best Law Firms” first-tier ranking for Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs.
The rankings, which are presented in tiers, showcase 9,633 different law firms ranked nationally in one or more of 75 major legal practice areas and in metropolitan or state rankings in one or more of 119 major legal practice areas. Achieving a high ranking is a special distinction that signals a unique combination of excellence and breadth of expertise.
The mission of “Best Law Firms” from the start has been to help guide referring lawyers and clients – from the country’s largest companies needing corporate legal advice to individuals needing to get a divorce or write a will – issues that have a bet-the-company implication (in the case of a corporation) or a potentially life-changing result (in the case of an individual).
Welcome to our new website!
On January 1, 2012This is a brand new site. Please check back with us for news which will be forthcoming.