Sleepless, But Re-Energized, in Seattle
I had a great time this week at the ATLA convention in Seattle. For those of you not familiar with the organization, ATLA is dedicated to securing justice and fairness for injured persons and protecting our civil justice system. In my view, any lawyer who represents individual citizens needs to belong to this incredible organization. (To better describe its mission and purpose, ATLA changed its name today at its membership meeting to the American Association for Justice.)
The educational opportunites were terrific. I attended CLE sessions on insurance law, business torts, ERISA issues, and bad faith litigation. I also got more involved in ATLA. I was elected to serve as an officer of the Healthcare Finance and Disability Litigation Group and chosen to serve as the Editor of the Insurance Law Section's quarterly newsletter. I expect that these activities will enrich my own practice and help me give something back to the profession.
On the personal side, I spent a lot of time with friends and met some great new people. Highlights included a scenic boat tour around Lake Washington and a visit to the Queen Anne neigborhood. It was also fun to catch-up with my friend Annie B. Williams at dinner one night and take early morning walks with my law partner John Day.
Oddly, this week has been both exhausting and refreshing. The long days of the convention and the nightly social activities have left me a little worn out; I'm not as young as I used to be. On the other hand, the chance to visit this beautiful city and soak in the experience has been nothing short of reinvigorating.
I'm already looking forward to next year's convention in Chicago. See you there.