Name: Craig Gibbs
Age: 60
Family: Married for 20+ years to Jacquelyn Holmes Gibbs with two daughters, Adrienne and Nia.
Pets: None
Education: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, Juris Doctor, 1973-1976, and Case Western Reserve University/University of Lancaster, Cleveland, Ohio/Lancaster, England; Bachelor of Arts, Dean’s List; 1970-73
Admitted to the bar: 1987
Employed by: The Law Office of Craig Gibbs
Field of practice: Personal injury and wrongful death
Professional organizations: Member of The Florida Bar, 1987-present; Member Benefits Committee, 2000-07; Workers’ Compensation Rules Committee, 1998-2006; Equal Opportunities Law Section, charter member 1999-present; Trial Lawyers Executive Council, 2005-present; secretary/treasurer, 2009-10; chair-elect, 2010-11, chair, 2011-12; Fourth Circuit Grievance Committee; chair, 2006-2008; Rules of Judicial Administration Committee, 2008-present; Florida Board of Bar Examiners Testing Commission, 2008-09; The American Bar Association: member 1988-present; The National Bar Association, life member, 1988-present; Nominations Committee chair, 2007; Elections Committee, 2011; The Association of Trial Lawyers of America, 1987-present; member of the Virgil Hawkins Florida Chapter National Bar Association, 1987-present; president, 2000-01; The Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers, 1991-present; The D.W. Perkins Bar Association, 1987-present; president, 1997-99; The Jacksonville Bar Association, 1998-present; Fourth Circuit Mentors Program Member, 2003-04; Jacksonville Trial Lawyers Association, 1996-present; commissioner of the Jacksonville Economic Development Commission, July 2006-present; Case Western Reserve University, board of directors, University Alumni Association, 2000-06; Florida Lawyers Mutual Insurance Company, board of directors, 2001-present.
Community involvement: Jewish Family and Community Services, Citizens’ Advisory Board member 2002-present; Clara White Mission board of directors, 2003-present; AME Housing Agency of Florida Inc. board of directors, 2007-present; E. Robert Williams Inns of Court, Founding Barrister, 2007-present; Greater Grant Memorial AME Church, Justice Ministry Chairman, 2006-present; J.W. Jones men’s chorus member, 1999-present; Boy Scouts Troop 175 assistant program coordinator, 1999-present; Interfaith Coalition for Reconciliation, Action and Empowerment, 2006-present; GlobalJax Board member, 2010-present; Jacksonville Super Bowl Host Committee, 2002-05.
How did you get involved?
I appreciate the Biblical teaching that “And to whomsoever much is given, of him shall much be required; and to whom they commit much, of him will they ask the more.”
How can someone else get involved?
Please contact me or any of the community organizations outlined or elsewhere and offer your assistance. Each of them has tremendous needs and as attorneys, we are so fortunate to be able to help them with our time, talent and resources.
What have you learned/achieved through the experience?
I have learned that the good that we do for others in the community comes back to us. Personal injury lawyers used to in large measure participate in their community in various ways — sometimes in the hope of circulating their name. Through that dedicated community involvement, whether at meetings or otherwise, people looked to that attorney for guidance or help with their organizations’ problems and concerns. And, symbiotically speaking, the community obtained a very favorable perception of our noble profession, through each attorney’s participation. With the advent of advertising, however that win-win relationship has somewhat waned.
What was the last book you read or are reading?
“Nine Principles of Litigation and Life” by Michael E. Tigar.