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Top-Ranked Civil Rights Lawyers in Gainesville, Florida

Updated Methodology LexRank v1.29 lawyers rankedReviewed by LexRanked editorial team

Summary

As of November 1, 2026, the top-ranked civil rights lawyers in Gainesville, Florida are Stephanie Marusak Marchman (LexRank 80.40), Gary Scott Edinger (80.00) and Kimberly Townsend Palmer (80.00).

This ranking lists 9 civil rights lawyers in Gainesville, Florida, in order of their LexRank score, calculated from their Florida Bar records and other cited sources. Their experience ranges from 15 to 40 years in practice.

Lawyers ranked
9
Fully verified
9 of 9

The ranking

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

  1. No change

    Stephanie Marusak Marchman

    Independent practice · Gainesville, FL

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

    Ranks #1 with 80.40: strongest in Reputation (4/20) and Data quality (10/10).

    Strongest

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 0.4)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.5)
  2. No change

    Gary Scott Edinger

    Independent practice · Gainesville, FL

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

    Ranks #2 with 80.00: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Data quality (10/10); held back by Reputation (0/20). 0.40 points behind #1, mostly reputation.

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 26.7)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.5)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 0/20 (ranking avg 0.4)

    0.40 points behind #1 (Stephanie Marusak Marchman): Reputation −4.

  3. No change

    Kimberly Townsend Palmer

    Independent practice · Gainesville, FL

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

    Ranks #3 with 80.00: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Data quality (10/10); held back by Reputation (0/20).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 26.7)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.5)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 0/20 (ranking avg 0.4)
  4. No change

    James Michael Sawyer “Mike”

    Independent practice · Gainesville, FL

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

    Ranks #4 with 80.00: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Data quality (10/10); held back by Reputation (0/20).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 26.7)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.5)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 0/20 (ranking avg 0.4)
  5. No change

    Lyrissa Barnett Lidsky

    Independent practice · Gainesville, FL

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

    Ranks #5 with 78.60: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Local relevance (5/5); held back by Reputation (0/20). 1.40 points behind #4, mostly data quality.

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 26.7)
    • Local relevance 5/5 (ranking avg 5)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 0/20 (ranking avg 0.4)

    1.40 points behind #4 (James Michael Sawyer “Mike”): Data quality −1.4.

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

  6. No change

    Bruce Morris Smith

    Independent practice · Gainesville, FL

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

    Ranks #6 with 78.60: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Local relevance (5/5); held back by Reputation (0/20).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 26.7)
    • Local relevance 5/5 (ranking avg 5)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 0/20 (ranking avg 0.4)

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

  7. No change

    Anthony James Livingston “Tony Livingston”

    Independent practice · Gainesville, FL

    Verified
    • 20 years experience
    • Civil Rights
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #7?

    Ranks #7 with 74.00: strongest in Data quality (10/10) and Local relevance (5/5); held back by Reputation (0/20). 4.60 points behind #6, 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 0.4)

    4.60 points behind #6 (Bruce Morris Smith): Experience −6.

  8. No change

    Jacob Anthony Rush

    Independent practice · Gainesville, FL

    Verified
    • 18 years experience
    • Civil Rights
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #8?

    Ranks #8 with 71.60: strongest in Data quality (10/10) and Local relevance (5/5); held back by Reputation (0/20) and Experience (21.6/30). 2.40 points behind #7, 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 0.4)
    • Experience 21.6/30 (ranking avg 26.7)

    2.40 points behind #7 (Anthony James Livingston “Tony Livingston”): Experience −2.4.

  9. No change

    Ralph Strzalkowski

    Independent practice · Gainesville, FL

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

    Ranks #9 with 66.60: strongest in Local relevance (5/5) and Practice-area relevance (20/20); held back by Reputation (0/20) and Experience (18/30). 5.00 points behind #8, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Local relevance 5/5 (ranking avg 5)
    • Practice-area relevance 20/20 (ranking avg 20)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 0/20 (ranking avg 0.4)
    • Experience 18/30 (ranking avg 26.7)

    5.00 points behind #8 (Jacob Anthony Rush): Experience −3.6, Data quality −1.4.

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

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 · 9 profile pages89 facts for 9 lawyers

Civil Rights market in Gainesville

LexRanked tracks 9 lawyers in civil rights law in Gainesville, Florida. 9 of the lawyers have verified professional data. Data verified October 19, 2026.

Lawyers
9
Law firms
0
Verified professional data
9 of 9
Average rating
Withheldtoo few sourced ratings
Median review count
Withheldtoo few sourced counts
Median experience
32 years9 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 Gainesville

What sets these Gainesville 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 9 ranked lawyers Figure
Years in practice 15 to 40 (median 32)
Languages besides English Polish (1)
License status with The Florida Bar Eligible to practice, verified for every lawyer
Most common law school University of Florida, Fredric G. Levin College of Law (6 lawyers)

Who is included in this ranking?

Lawyers eligible to practice in Florida, with a Gainesville office address and civil rights as a practice area on record. It compares 9 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 Alachua County is in Florida's Eighth 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 Gainesville?

State court cases in Alachua County are heard in Florida's Eighth 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?

9 of the 9 ranked lawyers have fully verified profiles: Stephanie Marusak Marchman, Gary Scott Edinger, Kimberly Townsend Palmer, James Michael Sawyer “Mike” and Lyrissa Barnett Lidsky and others.

What is the difference between the top two lawyers?

Stephanie Marusak Marchman scores 80.40 and Gary Scott Edinger 80.00, a gap of 0.40 points, mostly in reputation. 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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