Congratulations to Eric Traut, the youngest member ever admitted to ABOTA at the age of 33. Eric remains active in the Orange County Chapter of ABOTA in which he served as President in 2010.
Eric V. Traut is one of the top trial attorneys in Southern California. He distinguished himself early in his career as the youngest recipient of the Orange County Bar Association's "Trial Lawyer of the Year" (2003) award. In his 34 years practicing law, Eric has successfully tried over 100 jury trials.
Eric's reputation for civility, ethics, and fair play precedes him. Judges, arbitrators, and mediators alike have openly admired his integrity, compassion for his clients, impressive trial skills, and his gift of advocacy.
Eric is held in the highest regard throughout the legal community and beyond. Often handling unique, high-profile cases, Eric has the respect of his peers and the community in and out of the courtroom. Eric has earned interviews and appearances on Good Morning America, Fox News, Court T.V., ABC's "Primetime" CBS News, and Montel Williams.
Eric served as President of the Orange County Chapter of ABOTA in 2010. In 2017, he won the OC-ABOTA Joseph D. McNeil Civility Award. In 2020, he received the Trial Lawyer of the Year award from the Orange County Chapter of ABOTA. Eric enjoys Drafter status within the ABOTA Foundation - the educational arm of ABOTA. Today, only three members out of 240 in Orange County have donated to reach this level. Eric is the country's second youngest Diplomate of ABOTA out of 220 Diplomates nationwide.
In September 2023, Eric was honored as a recipient of the Anti-Defamation League's 2023 Marcus M. Kaufman Jurisprudence Award. This highly notable award recognizes outstanding members of the legal profession who are role models of ethics and leadership in the legal community.
While Eric loves being a lawyer and changing the lives of his clients, he truly enjoys giving back to his colleagues and the community. As the Past President of the Orange County Bar Foundation, Eric led a non-profit organization strengthening Orange County youth and families through unique, award-winning health and education programs. He continues to serve on the Executive Committee, donating many hours and thousands of dollars each year to help local youth.
Eric continues to give back to the legal community by volunteering to speak at countless seminars on litigation and trial skills, donating money to charities supported by law firms and legal organizations, and teaching law students about the importance of civility and professionalism in the practice of law. In 2023, he offered himself as the "Roastee" for the Orange County Trial Lawyers Charity dinner, which raised over $70,000.
When not practicing law, Eric enjoys traveling the world with his wife, Pam. He enjoys spending time with his children and step-children, grandson Vance and granddaughter Holland.
CAL-ABOTA will celebrate Eric as the 2024 Trial Lawyer of the Year Award recipient during the Hawaii Conference on November 4-9, 2024 at the Mauna Lani on the Big Island with a special dinner in his honor on Friday, November 8th; please plan to attend the Hawaii Conference for this special occasion; registration information will be available soon.
Congratulations, Eric!
