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A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT



The 2014 Auto Torts Workshop is right around the corner, and I'd like to invite all of you to join us in beautiful Amelia Island, Florida for this year's can't-miss seminar. If you haven't been to Auto Torts before -- and even if you have -- it is a flip-flop and family-friendly weekend at the beach that combines cutting-edge CLE offerings with a social calendar that is second-to-none. This year's workshop will offer attendees 9 CLE Credit Hours -- including 3 Trial and 1 Ethics -- and the education sessions will undoubtedly be informative, engaging and helpful to each of you. 

And, this year we are pleased to be hosting the Auto Torts Workshop at the beautiful Omni Amelia Island Plantation, which just underwent a stunning $90 million renovation that will leave you breathless. I encourage you to click here to check out the awesome lineup of speakers, and then sign up to reserve your spot to experience the top-notch legal education, Annual Auto Torts Golf Tournament, New Lawyers Division Pool Party and so much more! 

We can't wait to see you next month in Florida! 
 
Ringler Associates
FEATURE
The Georgia Trial Lawyers Association announced this month that the Association collected and raised the equivalent of 47,506 pounds worth of non-perishable food items and financial contributions as part of the 2014 Georgia Legal Food Frenzy. The food will be distributed by the Georgia Food Bank Association’s seven regional food banks across the state, which collectively distribute food to 2,300 partner nonprofits with assistance programs in all 159 counties throughout the state. 

"I am tremendously proud of the generous contributions of so many Georgia trial lawyers during this year’s Legal Food Frenzy," remarked GTLA President Linley Jones. "We firmly believe that hunger is not just an issue of charity; it is an issue of justice. Our members have dedicated their careers to helping those in need, and it is only fitting that these efforts are extended beyond the walls of the courtroom and into deserving communities across our state." 

The Legal Food Frenzy, which is co-sponsored by the Georgia Food Bank Association, the Office of the Attorney General and the Young Lawyers Division of the State Bar of Georgia, is a competition among lawyers and legal organizations to provide vital assistance to Georgia’s regional food banks and partner agencies. This year, the Legal Food Frenzy raised the equivalent of 1,140,672 pounds of food from over 270 competing teams. Among all legal organizations, the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association was exceeded in contributions only by the DeKalb County Solicitor-General’s Office.

"We would like to congratulate the DeKalb Solicitor’s Office on being the only legal organization in Georgia to out-raise GTLA in this year’s Legal Food Frenzy," continued Jones. "More than one in four children in Georgia struggle with hunger, and the summer months are particularly vital for our community food banks. Almost 60 percent of Georgia’s children are enrolled in a free or reduced-cost lunch program but less than 15 percent of them have access to the lunch program during the summertime. Through GTLA’s participation in the Legal Food Frenzy, we are able to do our part to keep food on the table for our state’s most vulnerable citizens."

Read more here: https://www.gtla.org/index.cfm?pg=FoodFrenzy2014
 
LEGISLATIVE NEWS
The Spring edition of Verdict should be arriving in your mailbox this week -- if it hasn't already -- and we are proud to spotlight this year's Legislative Report as our Cover Story. The 2014 Legislative Session was one of the most challenging for GTLA's Legislative Team in recent memory, and we know that we must start preparing for next year's Session now in order to ensure that our ongoing efforts to protect and uphold Georgia's Civil Justice System are effective and long-lasting.

Be sure to click here to read the 2014 Legislative Report, and visit www.gtla.org/TalkingPoints for additional legislative resources to better prepare you to join us in our efforts into 2015 and beyond! 


 
COMMUNICATIONS
In May, GTLA President Linley Jones, President-Elect Darren Penn and Communications Director Chris Kelleher were the featured guests on the Atlanta Legal Experts (ALE) Radio Show. Among the many topics that they discussed with ALE, Linley, Darren and Chris highlighted many of GTLA's legislative initiatives and successes from the 2014 Legislative Session, invited listeners to find out more about the tremendous benefits of joining GTLA and even took the opportunity to set the record straight on what is perhaps America's most infamous -- and misunderstood -- legal battle: the McDonald's "Hot Coffee" case. 

We invite you to click here and listen to the full interview. It was a great opportunity to tell our side of the story, and we hope that you enjoy listening to is as much as we enjoyed recording it! 


 
NEW LAWYERS DIVISION
It's that time of the year again! We are pleased to invite you all to join us for the next New Lawyers Division Happy Hour, continuing a tradition that has grown into one of our most popular, well-attended events on the GTLA Events Calendar. This is a great opportunity to network with your friends and colleagues, and you are encouraged to bring anyone that you think might be a prospective new member of our Association.

The NLD Happy Hour will be held on Thursday, June 26 from 5:30 p.m. - 7 p.m. at Max Lager's Wood-Fired Grill & Brewery in Atlanta. It's located at 320 Peachtree Street NE, Atlanta, GA 30308, and you can find directions online by clicking here

To RSVP or for more information, please click here or email Daniel Everett at admin@gtla.org
 
GRASSROOTS REPORT
GTLA President Linley Jones has been traveling the state since taking the helm of GTLA at April's Annual Convention, and she's got many more appearances and speeches lined up over the Summer and Fall. Next week, Linley will be the Keynote Speaker at two Local TLA Luncheons, and we are pleased to invite all GTLA members to join us at these great networking events! Here are the details:

Wednesday, June 25 at Noon
West Georgia TLA Luncheon

Sunset Hills Country Club
1 Club Drive
Carrollton, GA 30117
RSVP here or email John@greerjacksonlaw.com 

&

Thursday, June 26 at Noon
West Metro Atlanta TLA Luncheon
Sam & Rosco's Restaurant
7450 Douglas Boulevard
Douglasville, GA 30135
RSVP here or email jclay@jackclay.com

Want to get involved with your Local TLA? Check out our interactive map or view the full list of GTLA's 25 Local TLA Chapters by clicking here
 
UPDATE FROM AAJ
You're invited to attend AAJ's 2014 Annual Convention in Baltimore, MD on July 26-29. Register at www.justiceannualconvention.org, and you will get access to 45 CLE's, 300 events and 3,000 attendees. And to top it all off, don't miss out on the opening party at Camden Yards and incoming AAJ President Lisa Blue's closing reception featuring Huey Lewis and the News!

Not a member of the American Association for Justice? JOIN AAJ for FREE if you have been licensed for practice law for less than one year! For other membership specials, please contact AAJ Regional Membership manager, Ginger Jirik at (202) 450-7361 or ginger.jirik@justice.org.
 
WELCOME NEW MEMBERS
Thank You to Our Newest GTLA Champion Members!
James Creasy, Ken Futch and Keenan Nix

Welcome New GTLA Members!
McKinley Anderson, Andrew S. Ashby, Glenn Bobe, Charles Bowling, Robert Scott Christopher, Janice Ann Dahl, John Edmonson, Angela R. Fox, Camille Godwin, Lori Goldstein, Jason Graham, Kaitlin Nugent Hammill, William G. Hammill, Robert James Harker, Brian Heck, Amy P. Holbrook, Anthony Jones, II, Michael Jones, Brian Kim, Christine King, Robert Walter Lange, Katherine Brook Oliver, Elizabeth Osborne, Jonathan Palmer, Michael Rafi, Andre Ramsay, Andrae Reneau, Joseph Rhodes, Tabitha M. Rogers, Jason Slate, Christian Sotomayor, Anne Marie Stites, Sherri D. Thiel and Katonga Lanise Wright Harris
 
SPECIAL EVENTS


For those of you who attended the GTLA President's Gala at the Ritz-Carlton in Buckhead, we are pleased to announce that the editing process is complete and we have published the finished pictures from the evening online! To check them out, please visit our Facebook Page at www.facebook.com/GeorgiaTLA. And, be sure to tag yourself, your friends and your colleagues in the pictures, and feel free to share them for all to see!




 
Fast Funds, Inc.
Regional Medical Group
Insurance Specialists, Inc
 

Founded in 1956, the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association (GTLA) is dedicated to strengthening and upholding Georgia’s civil justice system and protecting the rights of Georgia citizens and consumers.

GTLA works in the legislative, political and media arenas to ensure that Georgians know and understand the importance of their rights to justice and to make certain that these rights, which are at the very core of what it means to be American, are safeguarded and protected.

 
Georgia Trial Lawyers Association
101 Marietta Street, NW
Suite 3350, Atlanta, GA 30303
Phone (404) 522-8487 | Fax (404) 522-3705

We would appreciate your comments or suggestions. Your email will be kept private and confidential.