Florida Attorney Janet Varnell Receives Consumer Law’s Highest Honor

October 26, 2024 — Press Release

Illinois’ Daniel J. Schneider earns ‘Rising Star’ award

ORLANDO — In recognition of her contributions to the practice of consumer law, Tampa attorney Janet Varnell today received the National Consumer Law Center’s 2024 Vern Countryman Award. The prestigious annual honor recognizes an attorney whose special contributions to consumer law have strengthened and affirmed the rights of low-income and other vulnerable consumers.

Janet Varnell is the managing partner of Varnell & Warwick. An expert in consumer class actions, she also handles civil rights, worker’s rights, environmental protection, and other high-impact public interest litigation. She has prosecuted a variety of multi-million-dollar disputes with governmental entities and companies such as AT&T, Bank of America, General Electric Capital Corp., Home Depot, Mercedes Benz, State Farm Insurance, and Sallie Mae. 

“For three decades, Janet has inspired everyone around her with her passion for protecting consumers and advancing the consumer law community, and she is enormously deserving of this prestigious award,” said Richard Dubois, executive director of the National Consumer Law Center (NCLC). “She’s a tenacious and creative litigator who has never shied away from pursuing novel legal strategies to protect consumers from greed and abusive practices. With her trademark energy and optimism, she is a visionary leader and an exceptional advocate. And, on top of her successful law practice, nobody has done more than Janet to support and mentor other consumer attorneys.” 

Varnell serves on the Executive Committee of the Board of Public Justice and on the Partners Council of NCLC, and she is the former Co-Chair of the National Association of Consumer Advocates (NACA). She has co-authored numerous amicus briefs on behalf of public interest organizations and consumer groups and has also litigated cases with those organizations on a wide range of matters from consumer fraud to human trafficking. Her professional experience beyond law practice includes serving in the U.S. Army, where she was awarded several medals before the age of 21. 

The National Consumer Law Center presented the award at its 32nd annual Consumer Rights Litigation Conference in Orlando. It also presented the Rising Star Award to Daniel J. Schneider, supervisory attorney at Legal Action Chicago.  Daniel joined Legal Action Chicago in 2022, litigating class actions and pursuing legislative initiatives at the federal, state, and local level to effect broad, positive change for people living in poverty. 

NCLC presents the Rising Star Award annually by the National Consumer Law Center’s Partners Council to one or more attorneys in practice for 15 years or fewer who have made major contributions to consumer law within the past two years by trying or settling a case of great success and significance.

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Since 1969, the nonprofit National Consumer Law Center has worked for consumer justice and economic security for low-income and other disadvantaged people in the United States through its expertise in policy analysis and advocacy, publications, litigation, expert witness services, and training.

The Consumer Rights Litigation Conference is the largest and most comprehensive educational conference for consumer attorneys in the nation. 

The Vern Countryman Award is presented each year to a legal services or other public interest attorney whose special contributions to the practice of consumer law have strengthened and affirmed the rights of low-income Americans. Since the first award was presented in 1990, it has become the preeminent honor for consumer attorneys.

The Rising Star Award is presented annually by the National Consumer Law Center’s Partners Council to one or more attorneys in practice for 15 years or less who have made major contributions to consumer law within the past two years by trying or settling a case of great success and significance.