WASHINGTON, D.C. — Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata & Siegel, P.C. is proud to announce that senior partner Joseph Cammarata has been selected as a Class of 2026 Virginia Lawyers Hall of Fame Honoree by Virginia Lawyers Weekly, the Commonwealth’s leading legal publication. The announcement appeared today in the print edition and on the Virginia Lawyers Weekly website.
The Virginia Lawyers Hall of Fame was established in 2018 to recognize attorneys who have practiced for 30 or more years and made lasting contributions to the profession, the development of law in Virginia, and the quality of and access to justice across the Commonwealth. Each year, roughly 25 to 33 attorneys are selected from among tens of thousands of practitioners statewide — making this one of the most selective lifetime achievement honors available to Virginia lawyers.
Mr. Cammarata will be formally inducted at a ceremony on April 30, 2026, at The John Marshall Ballrooms in Richmond, Virginia.
A Career Defined by Results and Resolve
For more than four decades, Joseph Cammarata has built a career as a personal injury lawyer in Washington, D.C., defined by tenacity, compassion, and an unwavering commitment to equal access to justice — qualities that align directly with the Hall of Fame’s selection criteria.
His most nationally significant case remains Clinton v. Jones, 520 U.S. 681 (1997), in which he served as lead counsel and won a unanimous United States Supreme Court decision establishing that a sitting president can be sued in civil court while in office. The ruling is studied in law schools across the country and remains a cornerstone of American constitutional law.
That landmark case is part of a broader record that includes some of the largest jury verdicts in Virginia and the District of Columbia:
- In 2019, Mr. Cammarata was part of a trial team that obtained a $35.6 million medical malpractice verdict — the second largest in Virginia that year — a result that far exceeded the applicable cap and catalyzed his ongoing legislative effort to reform Virginia’s medical malpractice damages cap.
- In 2024, a jury returned a verdict in excess of $18.8 million in a catastrophic motor vehicle case he handled.
- In 2015, he secured a $4.5 million verdict for a woman struck by a bus while crossing the street — the third largest in Virginia that year.
Beyond the courtroom, Mr. Cammarata has represented women who were sexually assaulted by powerful public figures, including serving as counsel for seven women in the Green v. Cosby defamation lawsuit. He has championed the rights of children abused by those entrusted with their care, fought for families of developmentally disabled individuals who died due to institutional neglect, and led class action litigation on behalf of women who were secretly recorded during a sacred religious ritual.
Joining Virginia’s Most Distinguished Attorneys
The prestige of the Virginia Lawyers Hall of Fame is defined by the caliber of its inductees. Mr. Cammarata joins a roster that includes Justice Elizabeth B. Lacy, the first woman to serve on the Supreme Court of Virginia; Robert J. Grey Jr., a former President of the American Bar Association; Supreme Court of Virginia Chief Justice Cynthia D. Kinser. His fellow Class of 2026 inductees include Hon. John Charles Thomas, the first African-American appointed to the Virginia Supreme Court.
The Hall of Fame selection adds to an already distinguished list of professional recognitions for Mr. Cammarata, including:
- 2025 Trial Lawyer of the Year — Trial Lawyers Association of Metropolitan Washington, D.C.
- “Super Lawyer” of the Washington, D.C. area every year since 2007
- Top 100 Super Lawyers in Washington, D.C. (2012–2024)
- Washingtonian Magazine Top Attorney in every survey year since 1997
- U.S. News – Best Lawyers® every year since 2019
- Martindale-Hubbell AV “Preeminent” Rating (1999–present)
- Marquis Who’s Who Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award (2021)
- Outstanding Attorney Award, U.S. Department of Justice (1989)
Service Beyond the Courtroom
Mr. Cammarata’s dedication to justice has never been confined to litigation. He co-founded the Brain Injury Association of D.C. and served as its president for more than 15 years. He authored the Athletic Concussion Protection Act of 2011 — at the time, the most comprehensive youth concussion protection legislation enacted anywhere in the nation.
He currently serves as an active member of the Local Access to Justice Committee and as a conciliator in the Fairfax County Circuit Court’s Early Conciliation Program, where he has conciliated more than 1030 cases with an approximately 90% success rate in resolving disputes or narrowing the issues for the coCourt’s consideration. He has served on the Board of Directors of Fairfax Water, Virginia’s largest water utility serving approximately two million residents, since 2012. His civic leadership also includes service as Chairman of the Criminal Justice Advisory Board and the Community Initiative to Reduce Youth Violence in Fairfax County — work that led directly to the creation of the Fairfax Partnership for Youth.
Mr. Cammarata is a dual board-certified civil trial attorney, certified in both Civil Trial Advocacy and Civil Pretrial Practice Advocacy by the National Board of Trial Advocacy. He holds a B.S. in Foreign Service from Georgetown University, a J.D. from St. John’s University School of Law, and a Master of Laws in Taxation from Georgetown University Law Center. He is also a certified public accountant and is licensed to practice in Virginia, the District of Columbia, Maryland, and New York.
A Reflection of the Firm’s Mission
For over 50 years, the personal injury lawyers at Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata & Siegel, P.C. have fought for the rights of individuals injured due to the negligence of others. All three senior active partners are past presidents of the Trial Lawyers’ Association of Metropolitan Washington, D.C. The firm has been named a “Best Law Firm” by U.S. News & World Report for seven consecutive years and has recovered over $1 billion for its clients.
Mr. Cammarata’s induction into the Virginia Lawyers Hall of Fame reflects not only a distinguished individual career but the collective commitment to excellence, advocacy, and service that has defined Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata & Siegel, P.C. since its founding.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Virginia Lawyers Hall of Fame? The Virginia Lawyers Hall of Fame is an annual honor presented by Virginia Lawyers Weekly to recognize Virginia attorneys with 30 or more years of practice who have made lasting contributions to the legal profession, the development of law, and access to justice across the Commonwealth. It was established in 2018 and typically inducts 25 to 33 attorneys each year.
How are Virginia Lawyers Hall of Fame honorees selected? Honorees are selected through an open nomination process and evaluated on career accomplishments, contributions to the development of law in Virginia, service to the bar and the Commonwealth, and efforts to improve the quality of justice and increase access to justice. The final selection is made by Virginia Lawyers Weekly.
Who are some notable past Virginia Lawyers Hall of Fame inductees? Past inductees include Justice Elizabeth B. Lacy, the first woman on the Supreme Court of Virginia; Robert J. Grey Jr., a former President of the American Bar Association; Chief Justice Cynthia D. Kinser; and Hon. John Charles Thomas, the first African-American appointed to the Virginia Supreme Court — among many other distinguished attorneys from across the Commonwealth.
Who is Joseph Cammarata? Joseph Cammarata is a senior partner at Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata & Siegel, P.C. in Washington, D.C. He is a dual board-certified civil trial attorney nationally known for winning a unanimous U.S. Supreme Court decision in Clinton v. Jones (1997) and for securing tens of millions of dollars in verdicts and settlements for clients across Virginia, D.C., and Maryland. He was named the 2025 Trial Lawyer of the Year by the Trial Lawyers Association of Metropolitan Washington, D.C.
If you or a loved one has been injured due to the negligence of another, contact Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata & Siegel, P.C. at (202) 659-8600 for a free consultation.
