Daryl D. Parks

Attorney Profile

Daryl D. Parks is a man of varied and extraordinary accomplishments both in and out of the courthouse. For Daryl Parks’ greatest efforts he has earned great acclaim, affluence and access to even greater opportunity and personalities. Still, George Washington Carver’s admonishment to freed blacks following Reconstruction speaks to Parks’ every action and serves as his great motivation~”Learn to do common things uncommonly well.”

First as a student leader at his undergraduate alma mater, Florida A&M University, Daryl Parks did not have one but two majors-political science and economics and graduated with honors. While enrolled he was elected student body president, not once but twice. If these accomplishments were not enough, the Florida Student Association, which represents all university students enrolled at public universities elected Daryl Parks their Chairman of the Board. Daryl also pledged the Beta Nu Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and for his leadership and service to his electorate and the community at large, Daryl Parks was selected National Undergraduate Brother of the Year. Daryl’s undergraduate successes were portentous of more common things to be done uncommonly well in Daryl Parks’ future.

As an attorney, Daryl Parks and his law firm, Parks and Crump, L.L.C., have distinguished themselves as successful litigators and masterful courtroom attorneys and are admitted to practice in Florida, and the U.S. District Courts for the Northern and Middle Districts of Florida and the U.S. Supreme Court. Daryl Parks’ uncommon and singular motivation as a lawyer is born from his own personal experience, albeit a common tragedy when his own mother was refused a life saving liver transplant by her insurance company. In a Tallahassee Democrat profile story, Daryl Parks’ explains, “It’s trial lawyers who challenge the big companies for the people who can’t mount that challenge on their own. Somebody has to hold those doctors and big companies accountable.” For Daryl Parks, these are not hollow words, but a reason to get out of the bed and go to work every morning. His doggedness to protect and defend his clients best interests has gained Daryl Parks great notoriety and appearances on national television broadcasts to include NBC, MSNBC, Fox News, CNN.

Still, Daryl Parks’ legalese amounts to so much more than just litigation and client representation. The esteem he enjoys for his uncommon leadership among his peers has morphed into what is now a rather common and ordinary occurrence. At every level of the law, both statewide and nationally, Daryl Parks’ perspective and talents are highly regarded and much sought after. He has appeared for special purposes before courts in the states of Georgia, Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey, Alabama, Louisiana, North Carolina, Arkansas, and the District of Columbia. The legal profession has sought Daryl Parks legal expertise as a lecturer at law schools and bar associations both locally and internationally.

As a lifetime member of the National Bar Association, Daryl Parks has held national leadership positions over the last sixteen years to include, General Counsel, Vice President of Finance, Regional Director of Region XI, and President of the Virgil Hawkins Florida Chapter of the National Bar Association. He also received Presidential Awards in 2005, 2007, 2008, and 2009. In 2011, Daryl Parks’ commitment and dedication to the National Bar Association were rewarded by his election as its 69th President. If that were not enough, the American Association for Justice appointed Parks to serve as its minority caucus chair and membership on its Board of Governors. Daryl Parks also has held a number of leadership positions with the Florida Justice Association, including serving on the Board of Directors. Because of his successful representation of his clients, Parks is a member of the Million Dollar Advocacy Forum. He also has provided his expertise to the Florida Bar, serving as a member of the Florida Bar Foundation Board and the Florida Bar Student Education and Admissions to the Bar Committee. To add to Daryl Parks’ long list of uncommon appointments, United State Senator Bill Nelson appointed him to the Federal Judicial Nominating Commission for the Northern District of Florida, and former Governor Charlie Crist appointed him to the Judicial Nominating Commission for the First District Court of Appeals for Florida.

Finally, Parks philanthropy and civic engagement is also very uncommon and represents his uncommon willingness to make a difference in the lives of others both here and abroad. Daryl Parks has served his alma mater as Chairman of the Board of the FAMU Foundation and the FAMU Boosters and as Vice Chair of the FAMU Board of Trustees. His financial support and service as a member of the board of directors for varied human service agencies to include the Tallahassee Urban League, the Leon County Sickle Cell Foundation, the Bethel Community Development Corporation and Legal Services of North Florida (to whom his law firm made a $1,000,000 contribution to fund a legal aid center in Gadsden County-Florida’s only predominately African American county) earned Daryl Parks the Association of Fundraising Professionals Outstanding Philanthropists of the Year. Daryl Parks has an uncommon interest in improving the lives of the people on the continent of Africa by making both a personal and financial investment in improving the educational options found on the continent. Parks has partnered with humanitarian trips in Senegal, Ghana and Tanzania.

Daryl Parks’ advocacy for the underserved, marginalized and disenfranchised is born from his noble intent to not only do common things uncommonly well, but to manifest his own personal ministry to show others that his faith is not dead, but very much alive.