When I meet with a client, I think of my own personal losses. Every client I meet is someone’s parent, aunt or uncle, or grandparent. They are family. And, of course, I will absolutely keep fighting for them.”
Jason B. Duncan is a member of Weitz & Luxenberg’s knowledgeable team of mesothelioma and asbestos exposure trial litigators working out of our firm’s Cherry Hill, New Jersey, office. He joins us as an experienced and impassioned trial attorney who has been winning cases for clients for more than 20 years.
Not only is he a veteran trial litigator, but he is also a veteran himself. This comes into play when dealing with many of his clients.
“I’m really looking forward to doing trial work to help W&L clients injured from asbestos. Asbestos exposure and mesothelioma are something I take personally, and I intend to fight like hell to get compensation for all our clients, especially veterans,” Mr. Duncan insists.
My Family Is Blue Collar Through and Through
“I come from a blue-collar working family. My grandfather served in the Army during WWII and my uncle served in the Navy. And three generations of men in my family — my grandfather, my father, and I — worked for an oil refinery in Pennsylvania for a time,” remembers Mr. Duncan.
“My grandfather was a welder and my uncle died from mesothelioma after serving in the Navy. Back then, we didn’t know much about this aggressive cancer. But now the link between asbestos exposure and mesothelioma is all too clear. I may not have been able to help my uncle but — knowing what I do know now — I intend to help every client I work with as if he or she were part of my own family.”
Relating Is the Key
“I think my background in the military, as well as my own family experiences, helps me relate to my clients. Sharing my story gets them to open up. Particularly with men,” Mr. Duncan points out.
“I’ve handled thousands of asbestos exposure cases over my career. And they generally involve blue-collar work, usually done by men. The work is rough and tumble.”
He explains, “I want to give my clients a voice. I tell them to think of me as their mouthpiece. Let them know I care while helping to demystify the legal process. Ultimately, I tell them, ‘You’re in control. You’re my boss. And it’s an honor to work with you.’”
9/11 Affected My Legal Direction
Mr. Duncan fell in love with trial work from the very beginning. And it all started with an unexpected turn of events in 2001.
“I had just graduated from law school in the spring of 2001 and was preparing to interview for positions in the legal profession. Then came September 11, 2001,” Mr. Duncan explains.
“A lot of my colleagues worked in the Twin Towers in Manhattan. And two very good friends were killed. So, 9/11 was a big turning point for me. I decided to go into the military and joined the U.S. Army.”
Veteran Began His Legal Work During Army Service
Mr. Duncan started as a First Lieutenant in the U.S. Army for the Judge Advocate General’s Corps, 1st Infantry Division. He served as Trial Counsel and Officer-in-Charge in Schweinfurt, Germany, for three years. Then he served as Trial Defense Attorney and Officer-in-Charge for the U.S. Army Trial Defense Service in Fort George Meade, Maryland, for a year and one-half.
“That was the thing about serving as a prosecutor in the U.S. Army. They put you right to work. I cut my teeth on prosecution and fell in love with trial work right away. In fact, the very first case I tried was a murder trial. I went on to prosecute over 150 courts-martial,” recalls Mr. Duncan.
“By the time I left the Army, I had amassed more trial work experience than I ever thought possible. I knew this was what I wanted to continue doing. And I’ve been doing it ever since.”
Recognized for Legal Skills
Mr. Duncan has spent years honing his trial work experience. In fact, he considers himself “a trial attorney, not a litigator.”
In addition to his military service, he has supervised multiple branch offices and teams of attorneys and paralegals. Throughout his career, he has litigated complex state and federal cases, including criminal ones.
“What it comes right down to in court is relating to the jurors. In fact, when I’m representing a client in the courtroom, I’m not presenting the case to a judge as much as I am trying a case in front of the jurors. I want them to imagine themselves in my client’s shoes,” shares Mr. Duncan.
Legal Background
Mr. Duncan is licensed to practice law in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, the U.S. District Courts of Middle and Eastern Pennsylvania, and the Third Circuit Court of Appeals. He earned his J.D. from Boston University’s School of Law in Massachusetts. His bachelor of arts in political science was awarded by Elizabethtown College in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania.
Mr. Duncan is an honor graduate from the 157th Officer Basic Course, U.S. Army Judge Advocate General Legal Center and School in Charlottesville, Virginia.
On the Personal Side
He continues to serve in the U.S. Army Reserves JAG Corps and offers his legal knowledge as local council in Philadelphia for discrimination cases.
Outside the office, Mr. Duncan enjoys spending time with family and friends, including his two children. He also loves riding his motorcycle and socializing with other vets, as well as hunting, shooting, and fishing.
