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Top-Ranked Employment Lawyers in Jacksonville, Florida

Updated Methodology LexRank v1.25 lawyers rankedReviewed by LexRanked editorial team

Summary

As of October 31, 2026, the top-ranked employment lawyers in Jacksonville, Florida are Thomas Albert Delegal III (LexRank 88.00), Jerry Ray Poole Jr. (84.25) and Eric James Holshouser (84.00).

This ranking lists 5 employment lawyers in Jacksonville, Florida, in order of their LexRank score, calculated from their Florida Bar records and other cited sources. All 5 lawyers in this ranking are Board Certified in Labor and Employment Law by The Florida Bar, a credential held by 4.9% of Florida lawyers in any field. Their experience ranges from 17 to 45 years in practice.

Lawyers ranked
5
Fully verified
5 of 5

The ranking

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

  1. No change

    Thomas Albert Delegal III

    Independent practice · Jacksonville, FL

    Verified
    • 35 years experience
    • Employment
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #1?

    Ranks #1 with 88.00: strongest in Reputation (8/20) and Professional credentials (15/15).

    Strongest

    • Reputation 8/20 (ranking avg 5.6)
    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 13.5)
  2. No change

    Jerry Ray Poole Jr.

    Independent practice · Jacksonville, FL

    Verified
    • 33 years experience
    • Employment
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #2?

    Ranks #2 with 84.25: strongest in Reputation (8/20) and Experience (30/30). 3.75 points behind #1, mostly professional credentials.

    Strongest

    • Reputation 8/20 (ranking avg 5.6)
    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 28.1)

    3.75 points behind #1 (Thomas Albert Delegal III): Professional credentials −3.8.

  3. No change

    Eric James Holshouser

    Rogers Towers, P.A. · Jacksonville, FL

    Verified
    • 45 years experience
    • Employment
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #3?

    Ranks #3 with 84.00: strongest in Professional credentials (15/15) and Experience (30/30); held back by Reputation (4/20). 0.25 points behind #2, mostly reputation.

    Strongest

    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 13.5)
    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 28.1)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 5.6)

    0.25 points behind #2 (Jerry Ray Poole Jr.): Reputation −4.

  4. No change

    Robert Gambrell Riegel Jr.

    Independent practice · Jacksonville, FL

    Verified
    • 45 years experience
    • Employment
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #4?

    Ranks #4 with 84.00: strongest in Professional credentials (15/15) and Experience (30/30); held back by Reputation (4/20).

    Strongest

    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 13.5)
    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 28.1)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 5.6)
  5. No change

    Yash B Dave

    Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP · Jacksonville, FL

    Verified
    • 17 years experience
    • Employment
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #5?

    Ranks #5 with 70.65: strongest in Data quality (10/10) and Local relevance (5/5); held back by Reputation (4/20) and Experience (20.4/30). 13.35 points behind #4, mostly experience.

    Strongest

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

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 5.6)
    • Experience 20.4/30 (ranking avg 28.1)

    13.35 points behind #4 (Robert Gambrell Riegel Jr.): Experience −9.6, 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 · 5 profile pages58 facts for 5 lawyers

Employment market in Jacksonville

LexRanked tracks 5 lawyers and 2 law firms in employment law in Jacksonville, Florida. 5 of the lawyers have verified professional data. Data verified October 16, 2026.

Lawyers
5
Law firms
2
Verified professional data
5 of 5
Average rating
Withheldtoo few sourced ratings
Median review count
Withheldtoo few sourced counts
Median experience
35 years5 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 Jacksonville

What sets these Jacksonville lawyers apart

All 5 lawyers in this ranking are Board Certified in Labor and Employment Law by The Florida Bar, which only about one in twenty Florida lawyers achieves in any field. Florida Bar board certification requires at least five years of practice, substantial involvement in the field, peer review by other lawyers and judges, continuing legal education and a written exam, and it must be renewed every five years. The figures below come from each lawyer's Florida Bar profile.

Fact about the 5 ranked lawyers Figure
Board Certified in Labor and Employment Law 5 of 5
Years in practice 17 to 45 (median 35)
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 Jacksonville office address and employment as a practice area on record. It compares 5 employment lawyers, using only facts with a cited source. How we rank.

Florida rules to know

Florida's minimum wage is $15.00 an hour, and discrimination complaints must reach the state commission within 365 days.

Rule What it means
Minimum wage $15.00 per hour from September 30, 2026 (Fla. Const. art. X, § 24)
State anti-discrimination law Florida Civil Rights Act, employers with 15 or more employees (Fla. Stat. § 760.02)
Deadline to complain 365 days to file with the Florida Commission on Human Relations (§ 760.11)
Court Where cases are heard
State court circuit Duval County is in Florida's Fourth 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.

Further reading

Sources for the rules above

Frequently asked questions

What is the minimum wage in Florida?

$15.00 per hour since September 30, 2026; from 2027 it is adjusted each year for inflation.

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

365 days from the act to file with the Florida Commission on Human Relations.

What does Board Certified in Labor and Employment Law mean?

It is a credential from The Florida Bar for lawyers with substantial experience in the field who have passed peer review and a written exam. 5 of the 5 lawyers in this ranking hold it; 4.9% of Florida lawyers hold a board certification in any field.

Which court handles cases in Jacksonville?

State court cases in Duval County are heard in Florida's Fourth 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?

5 of the 5 ranked lawyers have fully verified profiles: Thomas Albert Delegal III, Jerry Ray Poole Jr., Eric James Holshouser, Robert Gambrell Riegel Jr. and Yash B Dave.

What is the difference between the top two lawyers?

Thomas Albert Delegal III scores 88.00 and Jerry Ray Poole Jr. 84.25, a gap of 3.75 points, mostly in professional credentials. 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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