AAJ Convention Day 4 The non-group and my bad temper
A couple days ago if you asked me how I felt about AAJ, it wouldn't have been pretty. I was boiling hot angry ticked off mad. Nothing that a two hour run (have you ever noticed that being upset makes for good exercise) wouldn't cure though. The SLGCC (don't ask me what it stands for) is a group that you need to pass by in order to start a litigation group. I felt there should be a spinal cord injury litigation group. They weren't so sure. In fact they were pretty sure not. They tabled the application. I am a poor loser (another personality flaw I do admit). Hence my fury. Part of me said - screw it, I can do something else with my extensive free time. But the trial lawyer part of me said - no. I'm going to see this through. These clients, these cases, and the attorneys who handle or aspire to handle them deserve to have a national group.
What should have happened today, was that there would have been a first meeting. Instead, we are limited to having an "organizational get together to see if there is any interest." I am wearing shoes with nice cushy platforms that are tender on my blisters of yesterday. Even so I grumble as I traverse the length of the convention center until I come to almost the very end where voila, the non-meeting will be held.
We have a choice to be negative and mad, or to suck it up and look for the positive. So I explain the history of the non-group and ask for help. (In voir dire it is called "give to get"). Seated across from me is Warren Collins who hails from London. He tells us that he proposed an SCI group to the British version of AAJ (APIL) years ago and was turned down for almost the same reasons. They reconsidered and now it is one of the most successful sections in APIL. I want to hug him. I had been feeling so icky with being "tabled". Here was Warren, validating the entire concept. The non-group brainstorms and encourages and plots how to get approval. AAJ has sent its liason (a disconcertingly handsome man I must say - yes, I do say these kind of things from time to time) and he is entirely good natured and helpful. To prove that the non-meeting has occurred, I then "flip" everyone with my miniflip of course.
We will create a facebook page and an email list of attorneys around the country who would like to be in a hopefully future group. If you are interested, email me and I'll add you to the list.
The moral to this story. Hmmm. There are times when the only thing that will make a difference, is perseverance.