From
Executive Director Stuart Zanville
Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles
From
Executive Director
Six decades later, it’s still about connections From
Stuart Zanville CAALA
Political issues or discussions of dif-
ferent types of communication that apply to trial lawyers are the mainstay of this column. As Executive Director, however, once in awhile I take the liberty of writing about our association. This is one of those columns.
Executive Director
Stuart Zanville CAALA
Darwin and Karr But first, I want to give you two
names: Charles Darwin and Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr. You have to admit these are not names usually associated with trial lawyers and the associations they join. There is always a first time, however, and this is it. Both men were born in the early
Stuart Zanville
1800’s and each achieved prominence just about 100 years before the association that became CAALA was first established. Darwin, of course, was the English
naturalist whose 1859 book, On the Origin of Species, established his Theory of Evolution that all species of life descended over time from a common ancestor. Karr was a French journalist and nov-
From
elist, and more than 160 years ago he penned the proverb: “The more things change, the more they stay the same.” Both Darwin’s theory and Karr’s
proverb aptly describe the current state of Consumer Attorneys of Los Angeles, the nation’s premier association representing civil plaintiffs’ attorneys.
1949: The Lawyers Roundtable CAALA’s roots go back to 1949 when
a small group of trial lawyers gathered to share information about their civil plain- tiff practices. They called themselves The Lawyers Roundtable. The group’s name has changed many times since then, and so has the size and scope.
18— The Advocate Magazine APRIL 2011
Executive Director By Stuart Zanville
In 1949, there were about 60 attorney
members. Today, the membership is near- ly 40 times greater. At the beginning, in addition to very
few members, there was no annual con- vention, no magazine, no education pro- grams and the attendance at the first awards dinner was about 125 attorneys and their spouses. There were also very few similar organizations. What there was, however, was connec-
Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles
tion. The association gave plaintiff attor- neys an opportunity to get together and share their thoughts and ideas about this new civil legal practice. It gave them a chance to be there for each other. In addition to having more than
Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles
2,600 members, today’s association is rec- ognized as the nation’s premier trial lawyer association. Everything about CAALA is considered the gold standard among similar associations. Our member- ship is greater than any local trial lawyer association with more members than all but six of the state trial bar associations. The magazine you are now reading has a circulation of 9,200 —greater than any other trial bar magazine, local or state. Our annual CAALA VEGAS gathering
is the largest of its kind in the country, with more than 2,000 attendees. Our newly designed Web site (
www.caala.org) attracts more viewers each month than any similar Web site and is filled with resources that enhance the members’ practices. Our legal education programs are respected by trial lawyers throughout California and the nation. But even though the size of the asso-
ciation has changed, the reason for its existence has not. Today, more than ever, CAALA is still about connection. CAALA’s primary purpose is to give members the opportunity to connect with each other
and discuss the challenges and issues they face in their legal practices. This should explain the references to
Darwin and Karr. Yes, the more things change, the more they remain the same.
Something for every member CAALA offers numerous programs
that connect members to each other, ranging in size from very small to very big. The Consumer Attorneys Mentor Program is the smallest we offer, reaching out to one member at a time. CAALA VEGAS, of course, is the largest, with more than 2,000 attorneys and legal serv- ice providers assembling in the same place at the same time. The Mentor Program serves as a
forum for experienced attorneys to share their wisdom with new lawyers and offer advice and guidance on legal issues, busi- ness development, procedural and ethical dilemmas and even office politics. Nearly 200 members take advantage of the Mentor Program.
Other connections One of the most popular small for-
mat programs is the New Lawyers Group. The New Lawyers Group meets monthly and assists members in the early stages of their professional careers, as well as pro- viding them with resources needed to enhance their practice and career. A new group that has become very
popular is CAALA’s Women’s Caucus. This members-only caucus provides support, resources, and a forum for the sharing of ideas and concerns that affect women in the legal industry. CAALA also presents six
complimentary member mixers each year —social gatherings for members held at
See Connections, Page 20
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