For the second time in less than one month, five innocent lives were lost on Georgia's Interstate 16 near Savannah when the driver of a tractor-trailer failed to stop—or even apply the brakes—before slamming into helpless drivers trapped in standstill traffic in front of them. These two tragic crashes occurred just miles apart and have eerie similarities that highlight one very stark reality: lives are being lost at an alarming rate due to the recklessness, carelessness or otherwise lack of awareness by tractor-trailer drivers in Georgia and across the nation, and we as a country are not doing enough to change that. For years now, highway safety advocates have called on Congress, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Department of Transportation's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to address the disturbing number of commercial motor vehicle-related fatalities and injuries across the country. And, while incremental progress has been made in certain areas, there are still many options readily available that would immediately and significantly make our highways safer for everyone.

Get ready to trade-in your dress shoes for flip-flops and head on down to sunny Sandestin, Florida for the 2015 Auto Torts Workshop! A family-friendly seminar that combines half-day CLE sessions with a fun-filled social calendar, Auto Torts is the perfect opportunity to spend a few days at the beach with your family, friends and colleagues in a relaxed environment. This year's Workshop will be held from Thursday, July 30 - Saturday, August 1 and will offer 9 CLE Credit Hours -- including 3 Trial and 1 Ethics. GTLA has secured a block of rooms at the Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort and Spa starting at $299 per night. Please call the hotel directly to book your accommodations at (850) 267-9500. The deadline to book is Friday, June 26, 2015 and the hotel is filling up fast.

Register now for the 2015 AAJ Annual Convention in Montreal, Canada – July 11-15! Meet with national leaders in your practice areas, join in on the lively exchanges during the more than 300 events, 45 Cutting-Edge CLE Programs, 80 Legal Industry Exhibitors and 34 CLE Credits. Register HERE!

For the special convention promotion, $444/$777, visit www.justice.org/444 or contact Regional Membership Manager Ginger Jirik at 202-450-7361 or ginger.jirik@justice.org.

On Friday, June 5th, the Macon Trial Lawyers Association hosted the 2nd Annual Spring Clay Shoot & Family Social. Held at Healy Preserve -- the beautiful property of GTLA member Kathy McArthur -- the event saw GTLA members, legislators and judges from all over the state come together for an afternoon of fun and fellowship. In addition to the clay shoot, guests enjoyed quail buggy rides, horseback riding, live music, BBQ and so much more. It was a great time had by all, and we can't wait to do it again next year!

 

 

 

You are invited to join GTLA on Tuesday, June 23rd for the Appellate Writing Workshop. Bringing together some of our state's foremost experts on appellate writing -- as well as a current Court of Appeals Judge -- this seminar will be an in-depth tutorial that you won't want to miss! And, it is truly a bargain at just $99 for the half-day seminar. The Appellate Writing Workshop will be held at the State Bar of Georgia (Room ABCD) and runs from 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. Here's a look at the excellent program agenda: 9 a.m.: Preliminaries, Gathering and Perfecting the Record, Issue Spotting and Selection, Standard of Review, Preservation, Harmful Error -- Charles Cork 10 a.m.: Writing the Statement of Facts -- Tedra Hobson 10:30 a.m.: Writing the Argument Section -- Darren Summerville 11 a.m.: A View from the Appellate Bench -- Judge Christopher J. McFadden 11:30 a.m.: Writing a Brief Appealing from the Grant of Summary Judgment -- John Hadden 12 p.m.: Writing a Brief Appealing after a Jury Verdict -- Laura Shamp 12:30 p.m.: Finalizing the Brief; Editing & Proofreading; Time Management; Other Advice -- Panel Discussion 1 p.m.: Adjourn to Lunch & Networking with Panel

This week GTLA is offering the largest-ever seminar materials sale exclusively to our members. With over 40 different seminars and workshops available -- as well as the must-have Trial Practice Manual -- included, now is your chance to get all of the papers, presentations and documents from the foremost legal experts -- all at an unbelievable discount! Here's how you can take advantage of this unbeatable offer: In Person: If you would like to browse our seminar materials inventory and pick your order up in person, you're welcome to come by GTLA HQ Monday - Thursday between the hours of 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. If you would like to schedule a different time to visit, please email Ashley Stoe at admin@gtla.org. Online/Fax/Mail: For your convenience, you can view the full order form online by clicking the link below. Simply fill the form out and email, fax or mail it back to us, and we will fulfill and ship your order as soon as it is received. *Please note: Supplies are limited and orders will be fulfilled on a first-come, first-served basis. If your order will be shipped, please add $5 onto the order for shipping & handling.