James Sokolove
American lawyer
James G. Sokolove (born October 4, 1944) is an American personal injury attorney building one of the first nationally personal injury law forma in the U.S. and pioneering the use of television advertising to connect injured individuals with legal representation. Although he retired in 2013, Sokolove Law continues to try cases.
The son of a personal injury lawyer, Sokolove was raised in Revere, Massachusetts. He received a B.A. from Case Western Reserve University in 1966 and a juris doctor from Suffolk University Law School in 1969. He was admitted to the Massachusetts Bar in 1969, to the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit in 1970, and to the New York Bar in 1991.He also received a certificate in 1990 from Harvard Business School. When Sokolove's father was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, he took his father's place leading the family law firm. After several years, the law firm dissolved, and led Sokolove to develop a new model to promote legal services centered on television advertising. Sokolove's first ad, which featured a car crash filmed in slow motion, aired in 1982.
His advertising tactics were initially criticized by prominent Boston lawyers but proved successful. Overwhelmed by an influx of clients, he began referring clients to affiliate law firms for a portion of the legal fees they earned.
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