The Mel Award

In 2000 - 2001 when Gary Gober was President of the Belli Society, he initiated an award in the spirit of Mel Belli to be given to an attorney who was innovative and who made a significant contribution to the practice of trial law in America. Later, a very surprised Gary Gober was presented this “Mel” Award by Ronnie Berke in The Great Gallery at the Museum of Flight in Seattle, Washington, on July 14, 2006.

“I conceived the Mel Award some years ago as a way of honoring one attorney from around the country who, by virtue of his or her creative advocacy, spirit of innovation and paradigm-shifting techniques in the presentation of evidence, best exemplified Mel Belli’s tremendous contribution to the work we do as trial lawyers. Thus the Mel pays tribute to the recipient and keeps alive the legacy of the greatest personal injury lawyer of the Twentieth Century.” – Gary Gober

Recipients of the Mel Award