Awards and Honors
The Cochran Firm – Dothan and its attorneys have received many top honors that are awarded in American trial law.
Keith Givens
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The Alabama Trial Lawyers Association’s Al Sansone Service Award
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Finalist for the Public Justice Foundation’s Trial Lawyer of the Year Award, 2008
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Named to Lawyers of Color Power List, 2015
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America’s 50 Most Influential Trial Lawyers, 2014-2018
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America’s 100 Most Influential Trial Lawyers, 2011-2013
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Named one of The National Trial Lawyer’s Top 100 Alabama Trial Lawyers
Joseph Lane
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Lifetime Member of the National Registry of Who’s Who
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Awarded Very High Rating in Distinguished Legal Ability & Ethical Standards, 2018
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Top 100 Trial Lawyers with The American Trial Lawyers Association, 2007 – 2018
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Champions for Children Award from the Children’s Advocacy Center, 2016
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America’s 30 Most Influential Law Firms from The Trial Lawyer Association, 2014
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DV Award for Outstanding Achievements in Digital Video Production, 2003
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Sustain Member of the Alabama Trial Lawyers Association, 1997 & 1998
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The Billings & Cunningham Book Award in Appellate Advocacy, 1991
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Dean’s Award at Auburn University School of Pharmacy, 1983
Angela Mason
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Honored as one of “The Top 100 Trial Lawyers” in Alabama, 2013-2019
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Named to the American Institue of Personal Injury Attorneys' 10 Best, 2019
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Awarded Very High Rating in Legal Ability & Ethical Standards, 2017-2018
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Named to The RoundTable: America’s 50 Most Influential Trial Lawyers, 2016
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The Cochran Firm President’s Award, 2010
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Finalist for the Public Justice Foundation’s Trial Lawyer of the Year Award, 2008
John Givens
Jessica Givens
Farrest Taylor - of counsel
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Nominee for The Public Justice Foundation’s Trial Lawyer of the Year Award for his work on the environmental case against E.I. DuPont, 2008
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AV Rated Attorney by Martindale Hubble
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The Cochran Firm President's Award, 2010

Lawyers are selected for the Lawyers of Distinction award by a lawyer nomination or are chosen by a selection committee. The platform analyzes work, experience, and abilities based upon twelve independent criteria (case results, honors/awards, Google reviews, AVVO reviews, legal experience, educational background, verdicts/settlements, special certifications, representative clients, professional activities, pro bono/community service and lectures/writings/publications). The platform then generates a numerical score of 1 to 5 for each of the factors meant to recognize the applicants' achievements and peer recognition. The scores from each category are totaled and averaged for a cumulative objective score. Applicants with no ethical violations and who have achieved a passing score are then eligible for acceptance into Lawyers of Distinction.
To be eligible to participate in the “Best Law Firms” submission process, a firm must have at least one attorney who has received high enough peer review to be listed in the current edition of Best Lawyers. Firms are eligible in the practice area(s) and metro region(s) in which they have listed lawyers. Lawyers are submitted for consideration to be recognized for their legal talent. Recognition is based entirely on peer review.

The Trial Lawyer Magazine bestows membership in the Trial Lawyer Hall of Fame housed at Temple University, Beasley School of Law. The Trial Lawyer Hall of Fame is generally recognized in the legal profession as a bona fide organization that makes its selection based upon objective and uniformly applied criteria, and it includes among its members, and those inducted into the Trial Lawyer Hall of Fame, a fair and reasonable cross-section of the legal community of American trial lawyers. Some criteria for membership: trial lawyers who have 30+ years of experience of practice or service in the specialty of civil and/or criminal defense trial law, exceptional trial lawyers, trial lawyers who have exceeded the expectation of the public and their peers, trial lawyers devoted to the fight for and preservation of the constitutional right of trial by jury and trial lawyers who have achieved a substantial number of favorable results in high profile or publicly significant cases or legal matters.
Members of the RoundTable are among the top 50 U.S. civil plaintiff and criminal defense lawyers. Each year, The Trial Lawyer magazine and The National Trial Lawyer Journal identify a select group of remarkable trial lawyers who have met the challenges of our legal profession and achieved extraordinary success in the courtroom. Nominations are accepted from their readership and each lawyer is evaluated for their professional achievements, trial results, and ability to affect change in the legal community.


Super Lawyers selects attorneys using a patented multiphase selection process. Peer nominations and evaluations are combined with independent research. Each candidate is evaluated on 12 indicators of peer recognition and professional achievement. Selections are made on an annual, state-by-state basis.
Recognition by Best Lawyers is based entirely on peer review. Our methodology is designed to capture, as accurately as possible, the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal practice area. Best Lawyers employs a sophisticated, conscientious, rational, and transparent survey process designed to elicit meaningful and substantive evaluations of the quality of legal services. Our belief has always been that the quality of a peer review survey is directly related to the quality of the voters.


American Institute of Legal Counsel is an impartial third-party attorney rating organization comprised of 6 divisions consisting of Criminal, DUI/DWI, Personal Injury, Bankruptcy, Elder, and Family Law. The American Institute of Legal Counsel compiles an exclusive list of the “10 Best” Attorneys for each state. Each attorney must be formally nominated by the Institute, a client and/or a fellow attorney, must have attained the highest degree of professional achievement in their field of law and have gotten an impeccable Client Satisfaction rating. Many attorneys can achieve high degrees of success but this is often times at the expense or satisfaction of the most important person in the case - the client. The American Institute of Legal Counsel looks for attorneys that have achieved unparalleled success but most importantly have done so for the benefit of their client. Very few attorneys can do so and our organization recognizes this significant achievement. Our rating system helps clients throughout the United States make educated decisions when it comes to choosing their attorney. Membership is an exclusive honor and extended only to those select few who have reached the top of their profession while doing so with the client’s satisfaction being of the most paramount importance.