Taft partner Robert A. Bilott was presented with the Clarence Darrow Award at the plaintiff’s mass tort bar meeting in Las Vegas, Nev., on Oct. 9. This award is nationally regarded as one of the most prestigious and highly coveted awards in the field of trial law.

Since 1998, Bilott has worked to uncover and reveal the presence of a toxic chemical, “C8” (PFOA), in the drinking water of tens of thousands of people in the Mid-Ohio Valley and set up a process to clean up that water, as well as investigate and protect the health of those exposed to the chemical. He currently serves as co-lead counsel of the plaintiff’s steering committee in ongoing multi-district litigation involving the claims of thousands of those individuals who contracted one or more of the six serious diseases now linked to these drinking water exposures (including two forms of cancer), and he serves as class counsel for the entire exposed group in connection with the implementation of a comprehensive, new medical monitoring program for early detection of these same diseases.

The Clarence Darrow Award recognizes dedication and excellence in the legal profession and is given to attorneys who have demonstrated exceptional conviction in their work. The award honors the legacy of famed attorney Clarence Darrow, one of the greatest trial lawyers of the 20th century and a leading member of the American Civil Liberties Union. Darrow was known for his eloquent presentations and oral arguments.