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Top-Ranked Civil Rights Lawyers in Clearwater, Florida

Updated Methodology LexRank v1.26 lawyers rankedReviewed by LexRanked editorial team

Summary

As of October 31, 2026, the top-ranked civil rights lawyers in Clearwater, Florida are Ryan David Barack (LexRank 84.00), Jean Hayden Kwall (78.60) and Nick Jay Dorsten (77.60).

This ranking lists 6 civil rights lawyers in Clearwater, Florida, in order of their LexRank score, calculated from their Florida Bar records and other cited sources. Their experience ranges from 4 to 50 years in practice.

Lawyers ranked
6
Fully verified
6 of 6

The ranking

Ordered by organic LexRank score; paid placements are labelled and never affect a position. How we rank

  1. No change

    Ryan David Barack

    Independent practice · Clearwater, FL

    Verified
    • 28 years experience
    • Civil Rights
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #1?

    Ranks #1 with 84.00: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Reputation (4/20).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 19.6)
    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 0.7)
  2. No change

    Jean Hayden Kwall

    Independent practice · Clearwater, FL

    Verified
    • 50 years experience
    • Civil Rights
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #2?

    Ranks #2 with 78.60: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Professional credentials (15/15); held back by Reputation (0/20). 5.40 points behind #1, mostly reputation.

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 19.6)
    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 14.4)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 0/20 (ranking avg 0.7)

    5.40 points behind #1 (Ryan David Barack): Reputation −4, Data quality −1.4.

    Not on record (scores 0, never estimated): website.

  3. No change

    Nick Jay Dorsten

    Independent practice · Clearwater, FL

    Verified
    • 23 years experience
    • Civil Rights
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #3?

    Ranks #3 with 77.60: strongest in Experience (27.6/30) and Data quality (10/10); held back by Reputation (0/20). 1.00 points behind #2, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Experience 27.6/30 (ranking avg 19.6)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.5)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 0/20 (ranking avg 0.7)

    1.00 points behind #2 (Jean Hayden Kwall): Experience −2.4.

  4. No change

    Gretchen R. Cothron “gretchen”

    Independent practice · Clearwater, FL

    Verified
    • 12 years experience
    • Civil Rights
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #4?

    Ranks #4 with 63.00: strongest in Professional credentials (15/15) and Local relevance (5/5); held back by Reputation (0/20) and Experience (14.4/30). 14.60 points behind #3, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 14.4)
    • Local relevance 5/5 (ranking avg 5)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 0/20 (ranking avg 0.7)
    • Experience 14.4/30 (ranking avg 19.6)

    14.60 points behind #3 (Nick Jay Dorsten): Experience −13.2, Data quality −1.4.

    Not on record (scores 0, never estimated): website.

  5. No change

    Eugenia Alexandra Izmaylova

    Independent practice · Clearwater, FL

    Verified
    • 9 years experience
    • Civil Rights
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #5?

    Ranks #5 with 60.80: strongest in Data quality (10/10) and Professional credentials (15/15); held back by Reputation (0/20) and Experience (10.8/30). 2.20 points behind #4, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.5)
    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 14.4)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 0/20 (ranking avg 0.7)
    • Experience 10.8/30 (ranking avg 19.6)

    2.20 points behind #4 (Gretchen R. Cothron “gretchen”): Experience −3.6.

  6. No change

    Shelley Lynn Centini

    Independent practice · Clearwater, FL

    Verified
    • 4 years experience
    • Civil Rights
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #6?

    Ranks #6 with 51.05: strongest in Data quality (10/10) and Local relevance (5/5); held back by Reputation (0/20) and Experience (4.8/30). 9.75 points behind #5, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.5)
    • Local relevance 5/5 (ranking avg 5)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 0/20 (ranking avg 0.7)
    • Experience 4.8/30 (ranking avg 19.6)

    9.75 points behind #5 (Eugenia Alexandra Izmaylova): Experience −6, Professional credentials −3.8.

Data sources behind the scores

Every score on this page is calculated from facts backed by these sources. Each profile shows which source supports which fact and when it was last checked.

  • floridabar.org · Official / regulatory · 6 profile pages61 facts for 6 lawyers

Civil Rights market in Clearwater

LexRanked tracks 6 lawyers in civil rights law in Clearwater, Florida. 6 of the lawyers have verified professional data. Data verified October 19, 2026.

Lawyers
6
Law firms
0
Verified professional data
6 of 6
Average rating
Withheldtoo few sourced ratings
Median review count
Withheldtoo few sourced counts
Median experience
17.5 years6 lawyers

Calculated by LexRanked from its own records on ; data verified . Ratings and review counts count only when backed by a source; figures from fewer than three profiles are withheld. All lawyers in Clearwater

What sets these Clearwater lawyers apart

Every lawyer in this ranking has a The Florida Bar license verified as eligible to practice, and every fact shown links to its source. The figures below come from each lawyer's Florida Bar profile.

Fact about the 6 ranked lawyers Figure
Years in practice 4 to 50 (median 17.5)
Languages besides English Other (1), Russian (1)
License status with The Florida Bar Eligible to practice, verified for every lawyer

Who is included in this ranking?

Lawyers eligible to practice in Florida, with a Clearwater office address and civil rights as a practice area on record. It compares 6 civil rights lawyers, using only facts with a cited source. The Florida Bar does not board-certify lawyers in civil rights, so the practice area is the one each lawyer lists on their Florida Bar profile, which The Florida Bar does not review. How we rank.

Florida rules to know

Civil rights claims in Florida run on short deadlines: a discrimination complaint to the Florida Commission on Human Relations is due within 365 days, and a federal EEOC charge within 180 or 300 days.

Rule What it means
Federal civil rights claims Anyone acting under color of state law who deprives a person of constitutional or federal rights is liable to that person (42 U.S.C. § 1983)
Attorney fees A court may award a reasonable attorney's fee to the prevailing party in a civil rights case (42 U.S.C. § 1988(b))
Florida complaint deadline A discrimination complaint must be filed with the Florida Commission on Human Relations within 365 days (Fla. Stat. § 760.11(1))
Commission review The commission decides within 180 days whether there is reasonable cause (§ 760.11(3))
Lawsuit after a cause finding A civil action must be filed within 1 year after the commission finds reasonable cause (§ 760.11)
Federal EEOC charge An employment discrimination charge is due within 180 days, or 300 days where a state or local agency also handles it (42 U.S.C. § 2000e-5(e)(1))
Court Where cases are heard
State court circuit Pinellas County is in Florida's Sixth Judicial Circuit

How to choose among these lawyers

Confirm the license, ask who will handle your matter, and get the fee terms in writing before you sign.

  1. Look up the lawyer in The Florida Bar's directory and check the bar number shown on their LexRanked profile.
  2. Ask whether the lawyer you meet will handle your matter personally, and how many matters like yours they have handled recently.
  3. Ask how they charge and what costs are extra, and get the agreement in writing.
  4. If you prefer to work in another language, check the languages listed on each profile.

Further reading

Sources for the rules above

Frequently asked questions

How long do I have to file a discrimination complaint in Florida?

Within 365 days of the discrimination, with the Florida Commission on Human Relations (section 760.11(1)). A federal EEOC charge is due within 180 days, or 300 days where a state or local agency also handles it.

Can I sue a police officer or government official for violating my rights?

Yes. Under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, a person acting under color of state law who deprives you of constitutional or federal rights is liable to you, subject to defenses such as immunity.

Who pays the lawyer in a civil rights case?

The court may award a reasonable attorney's fee to the prevailing party (42 U.S.C. § 1988(b)), so many civil rights lawyers take cases on contingency.

How long do I have to sue after the commission finds reasonable cause?

1 year after the date of the commission's reasonable-cause determination (section 760.11).

Which court handles cases in Clearwater?

State court cases in Pinellas County are heard in Florida's Sixth Judicial Circuit.

How is this ranking ordered?

By the LexRank score, calculated only from facts with a cited source: experience, practice-area relevance, awards on record such as board certification, professional credentials, data quality and location. Client reviews do not affect the LexRank score: neither star ratings nor the number of reviews is scored. Payment never changes a position.

Do client reviews affect the LexRank score?

Client reviews do not affect the LexRank score: neither star ratings nor the number of reviews is scored. Reviews are shown on profiles for information only, and Reputation counts only awards on record, such as board certification. How we rank

Which lawyers are verified?

6 of the 6 ranked lawyers have fully verified profiles: Ryan David Barack, Jean Hayden Kwall, Nick Jay Dorsten, Gretchen R. Cothron “gretchen” and Eugenia Alexandra Izmaylova and others.

What is the difference between the top two lawyers?

Ryan David Barack scores 84.00 and Jean Hayden Kwall 78.60, a gap of 5.40 points, mostly in reputation and data quality. Compare them side by side

About this ranking

Last updated
Methodology
LexRank v1.2 - deterministic, reproducible scoring
Editorial review
LexRanked editorial team,
Independence
Positions are never sold. Paid placements, if any, are labelled and do not affect scores.

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