Personal Injury Litigation Attorney

Five to ten circuit court jury trials a year, plus some District Court work. You will likely be in a courtroom early on, and you will second chair a circuit court jury trial in your first year.

Our commission rate is highest on cases resolved by verdict and lowest on cases resolved pre-suit. That is deliberate. We pay more for trying a case than for settling it, because that is the practice we are building. Second chair is a defined designation with a written standard for graduating to first chair, not a vague promise that you will get trial experience eventually.

WGK has represented injured Marylanders since 1977. Founded by William Kolodner, now led by his daughter Jill Kolodner and grandson Hunter Duke. Family-owned, three generations, three-time Inc. 5000 honoree. You work directly with firm leadership. No committees, no partner track politics. Mark Herman has forty years of Maryland trial experience, and you will try cases with him.

The work: You carry your own personal injury docket from complaint through resolution. Motions, depositions of treating physicians and defense experts, mediation, arbitration, and trial in District and Circuit Courts across Maryland. Primarily auto and premises liability, with a developing trucking and catastrophic-injury motorcycle component.

The files that reach litigation here are the ones a carrier denied or lowballed. On those files, the trial attorney decides the outcome, and you will be that attorney.

Three litigation paralegals, a pre-litigation department with designated pre-litigation attorneys, an investigations team, and bilingual intake handle case screening, and a record retrieval department, who handle records, bills, and lien retrieval. You practice law.

Coming from insurance defense or staff counsel? That is the background we are actively recruiting. You already know the structure of these cases and the work involved; you have argued motions, and you have taken depositions. What changes is the client and the incentive. You stop billing hours to protect a carrier's reserve and start building files toward a verdict, and you are paid more the further you take them.

Where you work: Hybrid. At least three days in our downtown Baltimore office at 14 West Madison Street, and at least one remote day per week for litigation attorneys. Free parking.

The honest version of the ramp-up period: your first thirty days (30) are five (5) days in person, because you cannot learn this caseload, our team, or how our senior litigation attorney tries a case over video call. One remote day on day thirty-one, with consideration for a second hybrid day after ninety days. After that, the court calendar governs. Trials, depositions, mediations, hearings, and scheduled client meetings may require more time in office, and trial weeks are worked in person.

Compensation: $115,000 to $150,000 base depending on experience, plus commission. Commission is a percentage of the firm's fee on every case you resolve, and it escalates by how far you advance the case: a base rate pre-suit, higher after suit is filed or at mediation, higher at arbitration, and the highest rate on a verdict that exceeds the controlling offer. You also earn 30% of the firm's fee on any case you independently originate. Exact rates are confirmed in your offer letter.

Benefits: Health insurance with 80% of premiums employer-paid. Health reimbursement card for copays. Dental and vision through payroll deduction, same waiting period. Term life insurance at no cost, same waiting period. 401(k) with employer match up to 4% after six months. Unlimited PTO, and we expect you to take at least three weeks. Gym membership. Free parking. No billable hour requirement.
What happens after you apply: Typically, we conduct a twelve-minute phone screen, then a video interview, then an in-person interview with Jill, Mark, and Hunter. We move in days, not months.

$115,000 - $150,000 yearly + commission per year

• Lead and manage your own personal injury docket from initial complaint through resolution, ensuring each case is handled with precision and care.

• Conduct thorough legal research and draft motions, pleadings, and other legal documents to support your cases effectively.

• Engage in depositions of treating physicians and defense experts, gathering crucial information to strengthen your case strategy.

• Represent clients in mediation, arbitration, and trial proceedings in both District and Circuit Courts across Maryland.

• Collaborate closely with our litigation paralegals, pre-litigation attorneys, and investigations team to ensure seamless case management.

• Develop and maintain strong client relationships, providing clear communication and guidance throughout the litigation process.

• Strategically negotiate settlements, always aiming to achieve the best possible outcome for clients while aligning with firm goals and values.

Founded in Baltimore in 1977 by William Kolodner, now led by his daughter Jill Kolodner and grandson Hunter Duke. We handle auto and auto-adjacent matters, premises liability, dog bites, workers' compensation, and wrongful death across Maryland and Washington, D.C. Our team is built around six things we hold each other to: Detail, Resolve, Ingenuity, Voice, Efficiency, and Neighborhood.