Section Highlights

Message From the Chair

It's hard to believe that the TIPS Fall Leadership Meeting is only a few weeks away! I hope you will join us October 10-14, 2012 at the beautiful La Quinta Resort & Club in La Quinta, CA. The meeting will be casual - meaning comfortable desert and resort wear for all functions - no ties and jackets! This meeting will feature valuable networking opportunities at various events including our Welcome Reception, Sponsor Meet & Greet and Saturday evening Dinner and Reception out at the beautiful resort pool. Additionally, we are presenting a Professionalism and Ethics CLE session that you will not want to miss. We also hope that you will have the opportunity to participate in our public service project - a legal clinic at the Torres-Martinez Indian Reservation. There will also be time to have some fun with your TIPS colleagues at the TIPS Golf Outing at La Quinta's Mountain Course - ranked in the top 50 courses in the United States and you can enjoy the beautiful desert landscape and scenery during Denise's Dash Fun Run/Walk.

TIPS is also presenting a number of valuable CLE programs this Fall including Trial Tactics and Skills for the Aviation Practitioner in Washington DC; a webinar entitled Recovery of Consequential Damages Resulting from an Insurer’s Breach of Contract; a teleconference entitled Medicare: Key Insights from Both the Plaintiffs and Defense Bar on How to Ensure Compliance With the New Medicare Reporting Requirements; and the Animal Shelter & Rescue Law Symposium in Las Vegas, to name a few. Please visit our Events & CLE website to view all of our upcoming programs.

To show our appreciation of your membership in TIPS, a copy of Hot TIPS Volume 2 has been mailed to you. Following the first volume that was released last year, this series contains more valuable tips in areas of importance including commercial transportation, workplace harassment, property insurance, construction law, class actions and disaster preparedness and response.

I look forward to seeing you at the Fall Meeting in my home state of California in a few weeks!

Dick Semerdjian,
Chair, Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Section

Update Your Member Profile Today!

To ensure that the ABA continues to be a leader in its efforts to promote a diverse and inclusive legal profession, TIPS is working to compile member data for the annual Goal III Report. The ABA's Goal III is to Eliminate Bias and Enhance Diversity. Please help our efforts by verifying that you have entered all relevant demographic information in your member profile. Just log in to myABA, select edit Personal Information, where you can verify your contact details, and select Demographic at the bottom of the page to complete any missing details, including gender, racial/ethnic identity, sexual orientation and disabilities. Your cooperation is appreciated!

TIPS 80th Anniversary Podcast Series

As part of TIPS 80th Anniversary celebration this year, we are delivering a series of podcasts that address our 80th Anniversary themes of relevance, professionalism, civility and excellence in our profession. The first podcast entitled Civility as an Art Form in Diplomacy and the Law is now available online. Listen Today!

Remembering James W. Ferriman

James W. Ferriman, Chair of TIPS from 1978-1979, passed away on June 10, 2012 in Gilmanton, NH. Jim worked for many years at the Insurance Company of North America. After retiring, he became Of Counsel to the Philadelphia law firm of Hecker Maginnis Rainer and Brown, where he spent almost 20 years as an advisor, mentor and friend to the firms’ partners and associates alike. Jim remained active in TIPS well into the 1980s and was a mentor to many past TIPS leaders, including Andrew Hecker. He was in many ways a model TIPS member and leader and personified the attributes toward which we strive in this organization, particularly professionalism, inclusiveness and a dedication to the rule of law and the pursuit of justice. Read more about Jim.

Best Memories

While I had the privilege of being Chair of the Section (2003-2004), my fondest TIPS memory is among my first TIPS memories. It was 1988 and I was the Newsletter Editor of the Trial Techniques Committee, then the largest in our Section. One of the Committee leaders was Neil Shayne, who described himself as a "country lawyer". His office was on Old Country Road in Mineola on Long Island, NY. That was my first clue that Neil had a wonderful sense of humor. Much more than that, Neil was a generous mentor to me and the other younger lawyers of TIPS. We would bring questions from our files and Neil would help us with suggestions for case themes, cross examination questions, and case evaluations. One day, I presented him with some facts and asked him, "Neil, how much is this case worth?" In his classic New York accent he replied, "In Nassau County, $200 thousand; in Brooklyn $2 million; in the Bronx, $6 million, and where you live in Georgia - NUTHIN." We all laughed. He was exactly right.

The friends I have made in our Section are life-long, true and dear friends. We have been together in the best of times and the saddest of times. Please indulge me in this very special thank you to all of you in my TIPS family: you cheered the loudest and filled so many tables when I received a Margaret Brent Award; when I asked the ABA Nominating Committee to elect me Chair of the House of Delegates, the entire TIPS Council was in the back of the room smiling and demonstrating their support. You are the best friends - the ones I hold closest to my heart. Thank you.

Linda Klein, TIPS 2003-2004 Chair

Upcoming Events & CLE

TIPS Fall Leadership Meeting

Taking place October 10-14, 2012 in beautiful La Quinta, CA, this meeting will offer something valuable for everyone including networking opportunities, a Professionalism and Ethics CLE session and of course some time to explore. In addition, please remember that attire for this meeting is resort casual. The major social event of the meeting will take place on Saturday evening with a spectacular dinner and reception pool party featuring delicious food, fun cocktails, dancing, music and even swimming, so don't forget to pack your swimsuit! Please check out our Fall Leadership Meeting website for additional details.

View All Upcoming Meetings & CLE

Membership

Don't Forget to Renew Your Membership!

TIPS would like to thank those members who have renewed their membership for the 2012-13 year, we are very excited for the year ahead and appreciate your commitment to the Section! We would also like to remind those who have not yet renewed, that the next dues bill for the 2012-13 membership year should be arriving next week. We truly value your membership and look forward to another successful and busy year.

NEW! ABA Email Preference Center

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