Howard Nations has always excelled in his profession – as a trial lawyer, a law professor, a businessman. His brilliant work and relentless dedication have earned him the utmost respect and appreciation from the legal and business communities. He has been honored extensively through awards and special recognitions. Below are some highlights.

Awards

AAJ Lifetime Achievement Award

The American Association for Justice (AAJ) has honored Houston attorney Howard L. Nations with its highest accolade, the Lifetime Achievement Award. AAJ, a leading national trial lawyers’ group, gives the award annually to an AAJ member who exemplifies outstanding devotion to the pursuit of justice, efforts to help injured people, and a commitment to improving the justice system. In his acceptance speech, Mr. Nations told the AAJ members that he was honored by the award, and emphasized that as lawyers, “We are the beneficiaries of a rich and unparalleled heritage from the past, the bearers of a huge mantle of responsibility in the present and the preservers and protectors of the individual rights of American citizens for the future.”

Mr. Nations is an inductee of the Trial Lawyer Hall of Fame, and a nationally recognized author and speaker, having spoken to trial lawyer groups in all fifty states and twelve foreign countries. As a leader of the trial bar, Mr. Nations is past President of The National Trial Lawyers, Texas Trial Lawyers Association, Southern Trial Lawyers Association, The Melvin M. Belli Society, The Aletheia Institute and The Association of Interstate Trucking Lawyers of America.

Prior to receiving AAJ’s Lifetime Achievement Award, Mr. Nations is the 2014 Recipient of the W. McKinley Smiley, Jr. Lighthouse Award, and has been honored with the Belli Society’s “Mel” award, MTMP’s “Clarence Darrow” award, STLA’s “War Horse” award, AAJ’s “Heavy Lifting” award, STLA’s Tommy Malone “Great American Eagle” award, the State Bar of Texas “Gene Cavin” award, APITLA’s “The Man in the Arena” award and ATLA’s “Weidemann & Wysocki” award.

The Nations Law Firm is a national firm which specializes in pharmaceutical litigation, and catastrophic injury and wrongful death cases and has represented clients in all fifty states. Mr. Nations is Board Certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization as both a personal injury trial lawyer and a civil trial lawyer and is nationally board certified by the National Board of Trial Advocacy as a civil trial lawyer. He is also certified as a Diplomate of Trial Advocacy by the National College of Advocacy.
Since receiving his law degree from Vanderbilt University in 1966, his career has been acknowledged with listings in Who’s Who in the World, Who’s Who in America, Who’s Who in American Law, and Who’s Who in Finance and Industry.

“The Man in the Arena” Award – April 2013

“The Man in the Arena” is an excerpt from Theodore Roosevelt’s speech “Citizenship In A Republic,” delivered at the Sorbonne, in Paris, France on 23 April, 1910. These powerful words were the inspiration behind the naming of the award, “The Man in the Arena,” which was presented to Howard Nations at the APITLA National Interstate Trucking Conference in St Louis last month.

“The Man in the Arena” by Theodore Roosevelt

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.

View Howard Nations’ acceptance speech here
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The Trial Lawyer Hall of Fame 2012

On Thursday, April 19, 2012, Howard Nations was inducted into The Trial Lawyer Hall of Fame. Each year, The Trial Lawyer Hall of Fame recognizes and honors a few remarkable trial lawyers who have left an indelible mark on the American legal tradition through a lifetime of service to the American public and the Constitution, and who have distinguished themselves as an advocate in the courtroom. The honorees are recognized for defending the right to trial by jury, as well as the integrity of American Jurisprudence by their exceptional actions in the courtroom throughout the United States of America.

Video of award presentation and Howard Nations’ acceptance speech

American Association for Justice Heavy Lifting Award

We are proud to announce that Howard L. Nations has been selected as the 2011 recipient of the American Association for Justice (AAJ) Heavy Lifting Award, in recognition for his outstanding work in protecting the American civil justice system. Mr. Nations received his award at a special AAJ Leadership Breakfast on Sunday, July 10, in New York, as part of the AAJ’s 65th Annual Conference.

As the world’s largest trial bar, AAJ promotes justice and fairness for injured persons, safeguards victims’ rights—particularly the right to trial by jury—and strengthens the civil justice system through education and disclosure of information critical to public health and safety. With members worldwide, and a network of U.S. and Canadian affiliates involved in diverse areas of trial advocacy, AAJ provides trial lawyers with the information and professional assistance needed to serve clients successfully and protect the democratic values inherent in the civil justice system.

The Mel Award

Howard L. Nations Law Firm, P.C., announced that Houston Attorney, Howard L. Nations, received The Mel Award at the Pan Pacific Vancouver Crystal Pavilion, Vancouver, Canada, July 09, 2010. The Mel Award, named for famed attorney Melvin Belli, is given to attorneys who have demonstrated conviction in their work and exceptional courage in the face of adversity. The award is given out each year by The Melvin Belli Society.

The Clarence Darrow Award

Howard L. Nations Law Firm, P.C., announced that Houston Attorney, Howard L. Nations, received the Clarence Darrow Award at the Wynn Las Vegas Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada, April 22, 2010. The Darrow Award, named for famed attorney Clarence Darrow who may be best known for his role in the Scopes Monkey Trial in 1925 and depicted later by Spencer Tracy in the film Inherit the Wind, is given to attorneys who have demonstrated conviction in their work and exceptional courage in the face of adversity. The award is given out every year by Florida attorney and radio talk show host Mike Papantonio. Past recipients include John O’Quinn, John Romano and Geoffery Feiger.

The Warhorse Award

New Orleans, 20 February 2009 — Attorney Howard L. Nations was honored with the 2009 Warhorse Award at the Southern Trial Lawyers Annual Conference in New Orleans.
The Warhorse Award recognizes three of the nation’s most extraordinary trial lawyers; honorees are “acknowledged leaders in their communities, they have been in active practice for more than thirty years, demonstrated outstanding skill as trial advocates, and shown exceptional commitment to furthering the cause of justice.” Mr. Nations and fellow Warhorse Award winners were each bestowed with a solid bronze rearing stallion sculpture by renowned artist Pierre Pierce.

The Tommy Malone American Eagle Award

The essential mission of the Southern Trial Lawyers Association is to promote fellowship, learning, and networking among trial lawyers throughout the 13 southern states.

The Tommy Malone American Eagle Award honors an individual who has a calling to help others and serves as a powerful example of the bold pursuit of excellence and justice. The award is given to an individual who inspires others and is a living symbol of integrity, strength, bravery, justice, freedom, pride, devotion, excellence, friendship and to many, a hero.

Gene Cavin Award, 2001 For Excellence in Continuing Education

Gene Cavin Award, For Excellence in Continuing Education photo — Gene Cavin Award 2001

Gene Cavin Award, 2001 For Excellence in Continuing Education[/caption] Named for the State Bar’s first full-time CLE director, the Gene Cavin award is the highest honor given annually by the State Bar of Texas in the area of continuing legal education.

Recognition

South Texas College of Law Adjunct Professor 2011

ad-stcladjunctprof_xsm — South Texas College of Law Adjunct Professor 2011

Howard L. Nations has taught law as a member of the adjunct faculty at South Texas College of Law for over 25 years. ad-stclinscription

Who’s Who Recognition

Howard Nations’ career has been acknowledged with listings in Who’s Who in the World, Who’s Who in America, Who’s Who in American Law, and Who’s Who in Finance and Industry.