Gerald Schwartz of Alexandria is one of Virginia's most successful personal injury attorneys, having built a practice - and a reputation for accomplishment - almost entirely on his own. A pharmacist and a one-time organic chemist and patent examiner at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, he attended law school at night. "I started out on my own representing injured people in 1975, no mentors, no large firm hierarchies." Today he is outgoing president of the 2,500-member Virginia Trial Lawyers Association, a true leader of his profession. This unique career path has earned him the admiration of peers throughout the state, and today he lectures widely on accident law. "I learned from my fellow trial lawyers. Today it is an honor to teach other lawyers how to handle accident cases. To me, it is just about paying back a debt," he says. Schwartz was the first family member to attend college; he studied Pharmacy at Northeastern University in Boston, graduating near the top of his class. He moved to Virginia when he was hired by the Patent Office to review medical and drug patent applications, a job that both suited his scientific mind and, curiously, prepared him for personal injury law. By age 27, he was attending American University's Law School, where he graduated in the top 20% of his class; "I thought I was going to become a patent lawyer. The truth is, I was more interested in helping people than in patents." In his first year of practice, he earned $2,000, living off of his retirement savings, but things improved. His pharmacy/medical background served Schwartz well, helping him to better explain his clients' serious injuries and complex medical treatment to insurance adjusters and to juries. Schwartz has a reputation for his thorough knowledge of traumatic injuries, complex medical treatment and insurance law. He is a leading expert on finding insurance coverage to compensate seriously injured clients. His practice is limited to major accidents involving serious injuries including fractures, herniated discs, spinal injuries, head injuries, nerve injuries, and shoulder and knee injuries, to name a few. Schwartz limits the number of cases his firm takes to give quality representation to his clients. Schwartz credits his success to his staff - a team of experienced, dedicated and caring professionals, who work closely with him on every case. Composed, trim (he vigorously works out every early morning), dynamic, cheerful and unassuming for someone of sustained accomplishment, Schwartz continues to develop new techniques for maximizing his clients' recovery. He has a reputation for being dedicated, compassionate and caring for his clients. One of Schwartz's most memorable cases was his pro bono representation of an army colonel injured during the September 11th attack on the Pentagon. "I will always remember her thank-you note to me at the end of her case which said, 'You were there when I needed help the most - you are my hero.' Helping clients makes it all worthwhile," said Schwartz. He and his wife have three children and live in Alexandria.