The group was conceived and founded by Richard Grand in 1972. Membership was originally limited to 50 lawyers at any one time, later increased to 100[2][3] each of whom are lifetime members.[4] The Inner Circle of Advocates inaugural meeting convened in San Francisco on June 26, 1972, with 11 lawyers in attendance. Situated at a circular table, the group exchanged ideas, marking its first roundtable.[5]
To qualify for an invitation, initially, members must have won a physical injury or death case with a million-dollar verdict.[2][6] later amended to having tried a minimum of 50 personal injury cases and won at least three million-dollar verdicts within the previous five years, one of which is in excess of $10 million.[7]
The group solely admitted male members until 1990, when Judy Livingston became the first female member.[4] The first woman president was Randi McGinns, in 2016;[8] Livingston was elected president in 2022.[9] In 2024, the organization's female membership was 13 percent.[10]