Bill Marler: A Personal Injury Attorney and More

At just 19 years old, Bill Marler became Washington state's youngest-ever city council member in Pullman, foreshadowing a career that would fundamentally reshape food safety practices nationwide. His transformation from general personal injury attorney began in 1993 when a mother called about her child sickened in the Jack in the Box outbreak; he represented 100 plaintiffs and secured a $15.6 million settlement. When his law firm partners refused to support a specialized foodborne illness practice in 1998, Marler packed his office on a Sunday evening and left only a resignation letter. Colleagues were stunned to find his office empty Monday morning. He launched Marler Clark with Dennis Sterns and Bruce Clark, hiring an in-house epidemiologist to create what he calls more than just a law firm—a foodborne illness clearinghouse. His advocacy has changed his family's eating habits: "My family eats simply. We avoid risky foods like hamburgers, sprouts, raw milk, bagged spinach and lettuce." After joking on Larry King about getting chickens during the 2010 egg outbreak, his 12-year-old met him at the door: "We're getting chickens, right?" They now have six.