Leo Boyle Named to Inaugural Hall of Fame by MA Lawyers Weekly

On September 12, 2023, Leo Boyle will be inducted into the inaugural class of the Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Hall of Fame.

“Leo is a legal giant—a legend in the courtroom,” said Jennifer Denker. “Yet in the same breath, he is humble, compassionate, and grounded. His legacy is all of us who strive to improve the world one client at a time, like Leo has for decades.”

Within his storied career, a few aspects stand out as examples of his many contributions to the bar, to the development of the law, and to the efforts to improve the quality of justice in Massachusetts. At the forefront, of course, is his work as a plaintiffs’ trial lawyer, where Leo has achieved many successes including some of the largest settlements and verdicts in Massachusetts history.

But Leo’s efforts go beyond just his own cases. As President of the Massachusetts Bar Association from 1990-1991 Leo commissioned a study of the effectiveness of the courts. The report documented difficulties within the system and made recommendations to change it. Despite resistance within the court system, many of those recommendations were adopted, and have improved the quality of justice for the benefit of the citizens of Massachusetts.

Then, in 2001, when tragedy struck, Leo, as President of the American Association for Justice (AAJ), formerly the Association of Trial Lawyers of America (ATLA), spearheaded the largest pro bono effort in American history. Immediately realizing the legal significance of the terrorist attacks of 9/11, Leo enlisted the political forces of ATLA. He went to Washington and met with the Democratic leadership to advocate for a bill to compensate the victims and first responders and protect their interests. Within a few days, the September 11^th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 was signed into law. The next week Leo emailed ATLA’s membership, asking for volunteers to represent the victims and their families for free. Within days he received nearly 1,000 responses from attorneys all across the country offering to help.

Over the next couple of years, nearly 1,700 volunteer lawyers from all 50 states came to New York City to represent roughly 2,000 claims. Within three years more than $7 billion in claims were settled, with an average payout of $1.8 million.

But when Leo talks about his career, he doesn’t emphasize the big cases or the large wins. He says, “I mostly treasure the opportunities I’ve had to represent some incredibly courageous people. The satisfaction I get from my work is not related to size of the case so much as whether I’ve been able to make a difference in a deserving person’s life.”

Leo’s advocacy for victims, leadership of the bar, and court victories impress anyone lucky enough to know him. His humanity, though, is what makes him so special to so many people.

Please join us in congratulating Leo for this well-deserved recognition.