Welcome to Lawdragon 2026, which we’re kicking off with one of our most meaningful guides: The Hall of Fame.
This is our 11th year recognizing this treasure trove of lawyers who have stood the test of time. By which we mean, they have advocated, advised, argued and analyzed on behalf of their clients, changing laws, lives, countries and commerce for, typically, at least 40 years. They don’t let a setback or bad year get in their way. They get on with it.
That’s what separates them from everyone else. I thought of several we’ve had the opportunity to know as “Auld Lang Syne” played, thinking of friends and acquaintances and their heroic work.
John C. Taylor of the powerhouse Manhattan Beach, Calif., plaintiff firm Taylor & Ring has changed the practice of plaintiff law, using his remarkable empathy and skills to find justice for victims of sexual abuse in court. I met this gentle renegade surfer in the Santa Ana, Calif., courthouse ages ago, assigned to cover a case he was trying in which the defendant was a major law firm. That was unusual, as was Taylor, whom I came to admire as we sat on brutalist benches outside the courtroom and I watched him parry with Big Law big shots on the witness stand. Taylor went on to found his own firm that has elevated the voices of victims of sexual abuse, and others, who previously were unheard. Victims many times over. Taylor and his partners changed that. They’ve won hundreds of millions for those clients and many other plaintiffs in need of a champion. And never lost their vibe. Heroes.
Charla Aldous has been one of the highest-flying Dallas trial lawyers for decades. She kicks ass, takes names and has left an imprint well beyond what she ever dreamt. I remember walking in Dallas many years ago, feeling lost, searching for her office. Which is what so many of her clients have felt, until they landed in her presence, where she helped them take their journey to justice. She’s won every honor, and given the gift of hope and justice to horrifically injured clients who might never have had the courage to face another day without her. Hero.
Jeh Charles Johnson achieved every honor and accomplishment conceivable and is now co-chair of the Board of Trustees at Columbia University following a career in private practice at Paul, Weiss. His contributions through government are a who’s who of service: General Counsel of the Air Force, of the Department of Defense and then the 4th U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security. Hard to imagine he considered himself an underachiever. Champion.
And Leo Strine Jr. What a journey. Now a very active of counsel at Wachtell in New York, the since very famous Chancellor of the Delaware Chancery Court was teaching a ‘real world M&A’ course at Harvard Law School in 2006, when I was encouraged to attend. I began a nearly weekly Jet Blue commute to Cambridge entranced by Strine and his co-teacher, then Harvard Law School Dean (and another HOF), Robert Clark’s weekly bread and circus of top NY dealmakers traipsing northward to educate what would become the new masters of the universe. Subsequent journeys ensued, with him and the then-Chancellor Myron Steele, a buddy act never fully as appreciated as it should have been. They dedicated their lives to Delaware and what it has meant to Corporate America. The real deal. Not a billionaire’s playground.
We could go on with tales of meeting and getting to know these four and others among the 103 featured here. It’s one of our greatest honors each year to recognize them and share their stories with you. When we reflect on the year that was, and the attack it brought on lawyers and the legal profession, these are the heroes to which one can hold tight. Knowing they are out there, on the front lines, fighting for justice and the rule of law.
We select members of the Hall of Fame by tracking them, year over year, decade by decade in many cases. We also accept nominations, and encourage them for lawyers whose impact goes beyond their own front door.
This is our 11th edition of the Hall of Fame, whose members you can view here and in this special gallery of highlights. We hope they inspire you with their enduring commitment and efforts.
