 |
Judith Livingston
(Photo: Statia Grossman) |
Judith Livingston has long been considered one of the most successful plaintiffs’ attorneys in the United States, with clients and peers alike praising her determined advocacy and significant recoveries.
Among her results, Livingston has won 33 trials with verdicts in excess of $1 million (more than any other female litigator in the country) and has also negotiated almost a half-billion dollars in settlements for her clients. In addition, her firm, Kramer, Dillof, Livingston & Moore, recently achieved the largest automobile accident verdict in New York history and a ground-breaking $172 million verdict for a botched 911-EMS response.
 |
Judith Livingston
(Photo: Statia Grossman) |
“The most important advice I can give anyone is to find purpose in the law; purpose that is bigger than yourself,” says Livingston of her success. “This can be a noble profession. And when you put others’ needs ahead of your own, it is also a truly satisfying profession, and one you can be proud of.”
For Livingston, the areas of law where she has found the most purpose are those that have allowed her to serve as a voice for people in need—namely, medical malpractice and personal injury law. In working alongside KDLM’s other senior partner, her husband Tom Moore, she has helped the firm become one of the top plaintiffs’ firms in New York. And already in 2017, KDLM has obtained a $29 million verdict—one that cannot be appealed—for a former New York University athlete who was rendered a paraplegic after falling from a fire escape.
“It’s very upsetting when injustices occur,” Livingston says. “But in our practice we’ve been able to use our knowledge of the law to right wrongs and give our clients back some measure of dignity.”
Methodical and precise in her approach, Livingston has been called a “legal legend” by Law Dragon. Befitting this status, she has been named to every major list of top attorneys for more than two decades; and she was the youngest attorney and the first woman inducted into the Inner Circle of Advocates, a prestigious organization that honors the top 100 plaintiffs’ trial lawyers in America.
“I encourage young lawyers to pursue plaintiffs’ work because it truly is one of the most rewarding practice areas,” says Livingston, who speaks to law schools and bar associations across the country on subjects ranging from trial strategy to women in the courtroom. “It’s a 24/7 commitment, but the satisfaction that comes from helping people who have suffered irreparable tragedy is unlike any other.”