2022 Attorney of The Year Award Presented to Jay Cohen
May 4 at 1pm via Facebook Live
Make a donation in honor of Jay Cohen!
Jay Cohen is the Recipient of the 2022 Attorney of The Year Award. The Attorney of the Year Award is presented to an attorney who has gone above and beyond to support our mission and those who we serve. Jay Cohen has a long history with the Legal Aid Programs in Broward. Most recently, Jay was instrumental in directing a $350,000 Cy Pres award to Legal Aid Service of Broward County (LAS).
Cy Pres awards are an important funding source for legal aid programs. In many class action cases, a large part of the settlement fund or judgment remains unspent for various reasons. In those situations, the court is faced with the issue of how to dispose of the remaining money in the common fund. Cy Pres Awards are used to distribute these unclaimed funds and earmark them to be used for the next best compensation, in this case, LAS. The impact the funds will have on LAS is exponential. The Cy Pres Award comes at a time when there is an increase in demand for the services provided by LAS. Because of Jay’s foresight and advocacy we will be able to continue to provide the disadvantaged of Broward County with high quality free civil legal advice, representation, and education. This will directly impact the lifestyle and living conditions for low-income people in our community.
Jay Cohen is a senior partner at Cohen, Blostein & Ayala, P.A. His practice areas include Plaintiff Personal Injury, Medical Malpractice , and Complex Commercial Litigation. As a Florida attorney, Jay represents individuals and families who suffer due to the negligence of others. His experience and professionalism have earned him membership in the American Board of Trial Advocates, where he earned the distinction of “Lawyer of The Year,” as well as peer recognition from Florida Trend Magazine’s Legal Elite, Florida Super Lawyers, and The Best Lawyers in America©. Jay was a finalist two years running for the Daily Business Review’s Best Medical Malpractice Lawyer. He is also the recipient of America’s Top 100 Attorneys® Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Broward County Bar Association’s Professionalism Award. Jay is AV Preeminent® rated by Martindale-Hubbell®.
Jay has won large jury verdicts in medical malpractice, other personal injury and complex commercial cases in Florida. He is involved in numerous bar association activities and was elected to serve as a member of The Florida Bar Board of Governors for 9 years. He was an adjunct professor of law at Nova Law School and St. Thomas University. Jay has represented both plaintiffs and defendants in litigation. In addition to his many years representing victims of medical negligence, he has successfully defended hospitals and doctors for over 25 years. Because of his broad perspective on the litigation process, he continues to be an invited lecturer to hospitals and physicians’ groups, as well as to the Plaintiff’s Trial Bar Associations. Jay also sits on the Board of Directors of The Urban League. Jay completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Florida, graduating cum laude in 1975. He received his J.D. at South Texas College of Law. He was admitted to the Texas Bar in 1978 and to The Florida Bar in 1980 and is licensed to practice in all state and federal courts in Florida.
Celebrate this Award recipient with a donation to our organization in his honor!