A Professional Organization By Any Other Name…
Completely true: I recently became a (card-carrying) member of ATLA—the American Trial Lawyers Association. My student membership set me back 15 bucks and entitled me to receive a near-constant barrage of emails advising me, inter alia, 1) which doctors will go to bat for my clients, 2) where to get my client’s complete pharmaceutical history, 3) how to get around the new e-discovery provisions in the new FRCP 26, and 4) whenever a nationally-marketed product is recalled.
Effective last Friday, ATLA has changed its name. In an effort to show the world that they’re proud of who they are and what they do, that they won’t knuckle under to political name-calling, and that they have the vision and courage to stake out meaningful terrain in the semiotic culture wars, the organization will now be known as—get ready for it—the American Association for Justice. I am not making this up. I hope you think it is as funny as I do.
Myself, I had some concerns about the new name when the announcement came on Friday (in an email also alerting me to a seminar I can attend, for a hefty fee, on the difficulties associated with proving damages in infant wrongful-death cases). But this afternoon I received a letter that provided some welcome reassurances, together with a helpfully glossy FAQ sheet. First, it explained how to pronounce the new name (each letter is separately pronounced). Second, it assured me that “[n]ational professional organizations change their names all the time. In fact, our organization has changed its name in the past.” Hm. Okay. The letter explained that my ATLA credit card will be promptly replaced at no cost to me with a brand-new AAJ card, that I will be issued a new membership card when I renew my membership, that I can still email my friends at their @atla.org email accounts, and so forth.
Best of all, however, was the explanation that, notwithstanding the name change, I should feel free to introduce myself as I have always done, according to my own custom, as a “trial lawyer,” “trial attorney,” “plaintiffs’ attorney,” or—and again, I am not making any of this up—as a “justice attorney” or “defender of justice.”
Effective last Friday, ATLA has changed its name. In an effort to show the world that they’re proud of who they are and what they do, that they won’t knuckle under to political name-calling, and that they have the vision and courage to stake out meaningful terrain in the semiotic culture wars, the organization will now be known as—get ready for it—the American Association for Justice. I am not making this up. I hope you think it is as funny as I do.
Myself, I had some concerns about the new name when the announcement came on Friday (in an email also alerting me to a seminar I can attend, for a hefty fee, on the difficulties associated with proving damages in infant wrongful-death cases). But this afternoon I received a letter that provided some welcome reassurances, together with a helpfully glossy FAQ sheet. First, it explained how to pronounce the new name (each letter is separately pronounced). Second, it assured me that “[n]ational professional organizations change their names all the time. In fact, our organization has changed its name in the past.” Hm. Okay. The letter explained that my ATLA credit card will be promptly replaced at no cost to me with a brand-new AAJ card, that I will be issued a new membership card when I renew my membership, that I can still email my friends at their @atla.org email accounts, and so forth.
Best of all, however, was the explanation that, notwithstanding the name change, I should feel free to introduce myself as I have always done, according to my own custom, as a “trial lawyer,” “trial attorney,” “plaintiffs’ attorney,” or—and again, I am not making any of this up—as a “justice attorney” or “defender of justice.”
Labels: Rabid Conservatives, Rabid Liberals
posted by Isaac Zaur at 8:12 AM
8 Comments:
Are you putting it on your resume? Do you think the biglaw firms will see that as a negative?
I have atla on my resume and I was hired by big law firm. They don't care, they know after their 2600 a week you'll convert to their side
I think he already has a firm job. He's a 3L.
Yeah, I heard it's a pretty fancy firm, too.
Funny post, Isaac. Now get out there and defend justice!
i'm surprised that whores took a break from the san pablo strip to post comments to Issac's post.
I mean really, who's so concerned about their employability at a big law firm that they are worried about putting ATLA on their transcript?
What other part of you are you hiding--or leaving off your resume--from large law firms?
Did you go to law school to defend insurance companies? If not, why do you care?
Defender of Justice! I like that. I'm definately going to start calling myself that. "Hi. What do you do? Oh antitrust."
Well,I'm a jusitice attorney."
Thanks ATLA--I mean AAJ.
That's a pretty sweet name change. But why not just call yourself the Justice League and get all the members a Green Lantern ring?
I wonder if this will start an arms race in names for various lawyers' groups. Will TYLA become Texas Young Justice Defenders Assoc? The ABA will soon be the AJA?
PS 12:00: some bran and a lay would do you a world of good.
-A fellow corporate law whore (who has actually done legal work for Wal-Mart)
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