James D. Cardea: 30 years of first chair medical malpractice trial work in Baltimore

James D. Cardea is a partner at Schochor, Staton, Goldberg and Cardea, P.A. in Baltimore, Maryland. He is a medical malpractice and personal injury attorney with more than 30 years of litigation and jury trial experience, and he has served as lead counsel in hundreds of medical negligence cases. What distinguishes the practice described on Cardea's Haute Lawyer profile is not volume of filings but posture: he tries cases himself, in the first chair. The recognitions that have followed are largely measurements of that trial work by the judges and lawyers who have watched it.

What James D. Cardea's practice is built on: first chair trial work in medical negligence cases

James D. Cardea's practice rests on personally trying medical malpractice cases as lead counsel. He has extensive trial experience as the "first chair" in medical malpractice matters and, according to his firm biography, has achieved one of the most impressive trial records among medical malpractice attorneys in the Baltimore to Washington, D.C. corridor.

Cardea is a partner with over 30 years of litigation and jury trial experience, and his firm describes him as a tenacious, aggressive and extremely effective advocate for victims of medical negligence. He has successfully served as lead counsel in hundreds of medical malpractice cases throughout Maryland, Washington, D.C., Pennsylvania, Delaware and New Jersey.

That orientation matches the institution he practices within. Schochor, Staton, Goldberg and Cardea, P.A. states that it was founded with one goal, to represent individuals and groups of people who are victims of medical malpractice, negligence and the wrongful acts of others. The firm also states that since 1984 it has earned a reputation for doing exactly that.

What verdicts and settlements has James D. Cardea obtained in medical malpractice cases?

James D. Cardea has obtained numerous seven-figure jury verdicts and settlements, which have been featured in The Baltimore Sun and The Daily Record, among other publications. His notable verdicts include a Baltimore County jury trial verdict which, according to topverdict.com, was one of the largest medical malpractice verdicts in the country.

Those outcomes are the product of cases taken through trial rather than resolved quietly. That is consistent with how Cardea's firm describes his record: extensive experience as first chair in medical malpractice cases, and one of the most impressive trial records among medical malpractice attorneys in the Baltimore-Washington, D.C. corridor. Past results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome in any future matter. Every case turns on its own facts, its own experts and its own jury.

The peer review honors James D. Cardea has received, and what each one measures

James D. Cardea's recognitions come overwhelmingly from peer evaluation rather than self-nomination, and most of them measure courtroom work. The clearest example is his selection by The Best Lawyers in America 2027 as "Lawyer of the Year" for Medical Malpractice Law, Plaintiffs, in Baltimore, an award given to only a single lawyer in each practice area and community.

What the Best Lawyers recognition says about James D. Cardea

James D. Cardea has been honored by The Best Lawyers in America 2027 in the categories of Medical Malpractice Law, Plaintiffs and Personal Injury Litigation, Plaintiffs, both in Baltimore, Maryland. Lawyers on The Best Lawyers in America lists are reviewed by their peers on the basis of professional expertise, and Cardea has been included in the publication since 2011.

"I am honored to be recognized as 'Lawyer of the Year' by The Best Lawyers in America as a result of our team's tireless efforts, powerful advocacy and steadfast pursuit of justice on behalf of our clients and their families," Cardea said in a firm announcement. "This recognition is also especially meaningful to me because it is the result of an exhaustive industry-wide peer review from my fellow attorneys."

The Super Lawyers, Leaders in Law and Power List selections for James D. Cardea

James D. Cardea has been repeatedly named one of Maryland's Top 100 attorneys by Maryland Super Lawyers, and was also selected as one of the Top 100 Trial Lawyers by the American Trial Lawyers Association. In 2025 and 2026, respectively, Super Lawyers named Cardea one of the Top 10 attorneys in the state of Maryland. In 2026 he was included in Super Lawyers' inaugural Top 5 Maryland Personal Injury Attorney list, an honor based upon both evaluation and independent research including professional achievements and peer recognition.

Other selections follow the same pattern of outside assessment. In 2025, after nominations from around the state of Maryland, The Daily Record and the Maryland State Bar Association named Cardea one of their Leaders In Law honorees. That selection was based on dedication to his occupation and community as well as commitment to public service. In 2022 and 2023, he was one of only 25 attorneys in Maryland named to The Daily Record's Personal Injury and Medical Malpractice Law Power List, chosen after the publication's editorial team consulted readers and others in the legal community. He has also been named a Top 100 Litigation Lawyer in the State of Maryland by the American Society of Legal Advocates and a 2026 Influential Marylander by The Daily Record.

James D. Cardea's invitation-only trial bar memberships: ABOTA, ISOB and the American College of Trial Lawyers

Three separate invitation-only trial organizations have admitted James D. Cardea after screening for trial experience, skill and ethics. Each extends membership only by invitation, and each evaluates courtroom work specifically rather than practice generally.

• American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA). Cardea is a member. Membership is by invitation only and requires candidates to demonstrate, among other requirements, sufficient trial experience, civility, integrity and professionalism in the courtroom.
• International Society of Barristers (ISOB). Cardea was elected a Fellow in 2025. The ISOB was established to recognize the most exceptional advocates of each generation, and fellowship follows an extensive and highly selective screening process that evaluates a lawyer's trial skill, experience, accomplishments and commitment to ethical standards, as assessed by trial judges and lawyers.
• American College of Trial Lawyers (ACTL). Cardea was admitted as a Fellow in 2026. The College is widely recognized as the preeminent organization of trial lawyers in North America.

Taken together with the Best Lawyers and Super Lawyers selections, the memberships point in one direction. The bodies evaluating James D. Cardea are evaluating a trial lawyer, and they are doing it from inside the courtroom.

What kind of case James D. Cardea is built for, and where he can appear

James D. Cardea's practice is built for medical negligence cases brought against large institutional defendants, the matters his firm frames as fights against corporations of massive size and reach. He has served as lead counsel in hundreds of medical malpractice cases throughout Maryland, Washington, D.C., Pennsylvania, Delaware and New Jersey.

The firm states that it has the resources and capability to handle complex cases as well as class action lawsuits. Schochor, Staton, Goldberg and Cardea, P.A. has offices in Baltimore and Washington, D.C. Its lawyers are licensed to practice in Maryland and the District of Columbia, and they have been specially admitted on a case-by-case basis by courts in Florida, Nevada, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, North Carolina, West Virginia and other states. On special motion and with the approval of courts elsewhere, the firm's lawyers are available to participate in cases throughout the United States.

Geographically, the firm reports serving clients across the nation, with many clients located in Maryland, Baltimore and the Washington, D.C. area, as well as Silver Spring, Upper Marlboro, Rockville, Greenbelt, Annapolis and Columbia. Further detail on Cardea's background and recognitions is available on his Haute Lawyer profile.