Bruce Carlson Bruce has been engaged in the practice of complex litigation since graduating from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law in 1989. He also obtained his undergraduate degree from Pitt (after first attending California State University at Long Beach for three years), graduating summa cum laude in political science in 1986. While at the law school, he was Executive Editor of the Journal of Law & Commerce. After graduating from law school, Bruce was employed for several years by one of the largest and most prestigious corporate law firms in Pittsburgh. Thereafter, he joined a large plaintiffs’ mass tort firm in Pittsburgh, for the purpose of developing a pediatric lead poisoning and complex litigation practice. The growth of the lead poisoning practice was explosive, and within a few years, he had become a name partner in the firm and was managing one of the largest, if not the largest, pediatric lead poisoning practices in the country. In this practice setting, he either personally originated, or personally contributed to the development of, novel legal theories that resulted in the recovery of millions of dollars on behalf of lead poisoned children. These theories included the use of the federal civil rights laws against public housing authorities, which were failing to enforce federal laws intended to reduce the incidence of lead poisoning in federally subsidized housing (detailed in Bruce's interview with NPR). Subsequently, Bruce affiliated with a prominent Pittsburgh class action firm so that he could focus on building his own substantial class action practice. Once again, his practice plan was quickly successful. Bruce was affiliated with the firm for three and one half years, and during that period, he personally originated and was lead or co-lead counsel in more class cases than any other lawyer in Western Pennsylvania. Some of these cases remain in active litigation. Others have resulted in settlements for tens of millions of dollars on behalf of consumers. For a specific description of some of these cases, please go to the Representative Cases link of this webpage. In the course of developing both his pediatric lead poisoning practice and his consumer class action practice, Bruce often worked as co-counsel with prestigious plaintiffs firms throughout the country. He also worked frequently on cases with Gary Lynch, the first person he met at Pitt Law School, and, in Bruce’s view, one of the best young lawyers he had ever worked with. Having long flirted with the idea, Bruce and Gary decided to formally start their own firm effective June 1, 2004. It is Bruce’s objective – shared by Gary – to continue to do the interesting, significant cases that have characterized his practice to date. Bruce is admitted to practice in the state courts of Pennsylvania and West Virginia, the United States District Courts for the Western District of Pennsylvania, the Southern and Northern Districts of West Virginia, and the United States Courts of Appeal for the Third and Eleventh Circuits. He is a member of the American Trial Lawyers Association, the Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers Association, the Western Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers Association and the West Virginia Trial Lawyers Association. He is a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum. Bruce lives in Sewickley, Pennsylvania with his wife and three children.
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