Florentino Garza

Founding Partner, Garza, Garza & Pacheco

California State University, San Bernardino

Florentino Garza has devoted his lifetime energies to justice, fair play and equality. And while his practice has focused on the citizens of the Inland Empire, his reach has been international.

He is a founding partner of Garza, Garza & Pacheco, with specialties in civil rights cases, civil appeals, personal injury and environmental law. Among the many honors he has received, one of the most telling about his character and firmness of commitment is the establishment, by the San Bernardino County Bar Association in 2002, of the "Florentino Garza Fortitude Award." This prize honors attorneys who "exhibit strength of mind that enables them to encounter danger or bear pain or adversity with great courage."

Mr. Garza has been a fellow of the American Board of Trial advocates since 1974, and in 2000 that national board named him "California Trial Lawyer of the Year." This recognition was based on his distinguished career, superb reputation for ethics and fair play, and several outstanding verdicts that he had won. Listed in the "Best Lawyers in America" since its first publication in 1984, UCLA presented him with an Alumni Award in 1991 for Professional Excellence and the California Bar Association inducted him into its "Trial Lawyer Hall of Fame" in 1998.

As further recognition of his truly extraordinary achievements, Mr. Garza was elected to serve as president of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers in 1979; and, in 1992, because of his profound contributions to international understanding of the principles of the American jury system, he was given the title "Defender of the Jury" by the Pro-Jurado Spanish Bar Association.

In recognition of his many distinguished accomplishments, the Board of Trustees of the California State University and California State University, San Bernardino are proud to confer upon Mr. Florentino Garza the honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters.