2020 Year in Review

2020 Year in Review

As we wind down an exhausting 2020, we wanted to share some good news about GTLA and our accomplishments this year. Despite the many challenges of this unprecedented year, GTLA is in very good shape and has managed to maintain important programs, provide networking opportunities, and continue our vital role in the political process.

A long-standing objective of the GTLA leadership has been to establish a reserve account with six months of operating expenses set aside. We accomplished this goal in 2020! Thank you to our incredible members for remaining loyal and strong in this challenging year. And a shout out to our Sponsors for hanging in there during this period in which face to face interaction with our members was so limited. We simply could not have done this without you.

By adding a remote component to our three annual events, we were able to host Auto Torts, the Annual Seminar, and the Holiday Seminar. While our content and programs were a little different this year, the presentations were exceptional, and the hybrid model worked well to reduce in person numbers while improving accessibility for attendance throughout the state. GTLA is one of the few TLA’s nationally that continued regular programs this year, and pulling off these events was no small accomplishment. We are so grateful to the team at Legal Technology Services, who worked tirelessly to make this work! We certainly look forward to times when we can gather in larger groups again; but we also recognize that the remote concept is probably here to stay.

In addition to our three big events, GTLA’s New Lawyers Division hosted four Lunch & Learns and a Breakfast a Brainfood program. Our NLD again headed up our efforts with the Secret Santa project again this year. It was record-breaking; with our members sponsoring over 350 children.

We selected the 2020-2021 LEAD Class – our 8th class. We continue to be encouraged by the incredibly strong candidates we choose from each year. This year we had over 60 applicants and selected 18 new LEADers. These individuals represent virtually all parts of the state and have experience in a wide range of plaintiff’s practices. They are living up to the standards set by their predecessors by actively engaging in the programs and contributing to the organization in large and small ways already. GTLA members, old and new, should feel excited that our future is so bright!

In addition to maintaining our regular programs, GTLA has actually started some new initiatives this year. In 2021, GTLA will begin a Mentor Program. The success of our LEAD program has truly transformed GTLA. We believe this will be another step in training our future leaders, getting our young lawyers more engaged, and increasing our membership numbers statewide. Additionally, we have established a Diversity and Inclusion Committee, as well as a Minority Caucus. Under the leadership of Bethaney Embry Jones and Joe Wilson (both LEAD alums!) we hope to have these groups up and running at the beginning of 2021.

GTLA Officers have worked diligently on behalf of our members’ interest in court reopening efforts. Our leadership has served on committees throughout the state including the Chief Justice’s Task Force. We have also partnered with GDLA and the GA State Bar to establish the Mask Up for Justice Project. Thank you to all of our members who have contributed. We are also appreciative of a substantial grant from the Commission on Continuing Lawyer Competency, which has allowed us to respond to the many requests for masks from courts around the state – many of whom did not even have basic protective equipment for the court staff before receiving supplies from MUFJ. Getting much needed PPE to courts around the state is a critical component to resuming jury trials, and we will continue this initiative as long as needed.

We also had significant political and legislative accomplishments in 2020. Going into the 2020 Legislative Session, we knew that Tort Reform would be a priority for Senate Republican Leadership. We beat back this intense effort by keeping SB 415 from getting enough votes to be taken off the table for a floor vote in the Senate.

We were committed to getting our members more involved in our political efforts and during the 2020 legislative session we had at least one GTLA member at the Capitol each day. These members reviewed legislation, testified, met with Legislators, and provided critical support to our legislative team. We also held our 2nd Annual Legislative Bootcamp as part of our continuing effort to keep our members informed, educated, and ready to make a difference at the Capitol. Our commitment to this organization is that we will continue focusing on the important role our memberships play in our politics and political giving.

Both the Civil Justice PAC and GTLA’s Directed Giving program broke records this year. Through the PAC, we raised and contributed more in the 2020 Cycle than ever before. Thank you to all of our members who give to the PAC, deliver PAC checks and work to create relationships with your legislators. The work our members do in the off-season is truly what sets apart from others at the Capitol. The PAC has also created the GA Rights Alliance (GRA) – a grassroots effort to protect the right to a trial by jury. GRA will be part of our efforts in the 2021 legislative session. Our fall 2019 DG fundraising effort netted over $4 Million in pledges to DG – with 275 GTLA members contributing. This incredible surge in commitments allowed us to support our allies at a level we have not been able to before. By helping our friends with direct contributions to their campaigns, to their Caucuses and to Independent Expenditures on their behalf, we certainly had an impact on the 2020 elections and the make-up of the 2021 general assembly.

We have also expanded our lobbying team to include Immediate Past President Dan Snipes as Legislative Director, and we retained Howard Franklin and his team at Ohio River South. We are well situated to take on the challenges of the legislative session in January.

Finally, please look out for a GTLA Member Survey that will be distributed in early January. We want to hear from you – please share with us what is GTLA doing well, what can we do better, and what can we add as a benefit of membership that is important to you. We welcome your feedback as we work to make GTLA stronger.

Wishing you all a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year!