Comments from the Chair

• Author: By Arlan D. Lewis
• Pages: 4-4

THE CONSTRUCTION LAWYER4 Volume 41, Issue 3

Published in

The Construction Lawyer

, Volume 41, Number 3. © 2021 American Bar Association. Reproduced with permission. All rights reserved. This information or any portion thereof may not

be copied or disseminated in any form or by any means or stored in an electronic database or retrieval system without the express written consent of the American Bar Association.

COMMENTS FROM THE CHAIR

One thing that consistently fuels

my interest in construction law is

the variety of issues in our prac-

tices. We deal with a multitude

of challenges that involve several

legal disciplines. No two projects

are alike, even if they appear to be

at a surface level. Considering the

varying facts, personalities, con-

tract provisions, and jurisdictions involved, there is hardly

a dull moment! Our in-house counsel colleagues deal with

this level of “variety” daily and are often expected to provide

direction within minutes or hours to deal with circumstances

in “real-time.” They rarely have the luxury of time to con-

duct extensive research to provide advice.

Recognizing that our in-house counsel colleagues face

challenges different from those of outside counsel, this com-

ing bar year, we are particularly focused on (1) increasing

the value of the Forum to in-house counsel members, (2)

attracting new in-house counsel to Forum membership and

participation, and (3) helping in-house counsel gain support

from their executive teams for Forum involvement. Accord-

ing to many current in-house counsel members, one of the

signicant benets is access to a wide variety of quality

Forum resources through programs and publications.

Forum Programs

Our programs this year were developed to address issues

important to in-house counsel while allowing outside

counsel to view these issues from the client’s perspective.

Additionally, we incorporated a virtual component into each

to reach broader audiences and provide greater accessibility.

In September 2021, we held a two-day Regional Program in

six cities across the country, combining the Fundamentals

of Construction Law with Sticks & Bricks to provide a com-

prehensive overview of both the legal and technical aspects

of construction for those new to construction law or those

who deal with construction issues occasionally. Tellingly, this

program attracted signicant interest from non-legal con-

struction industry executives and project personnel.

Our Midwinter Meeting (February 24–26, 2022) will

enhance counsel’s understanding of the “business of con

-

struction” from the executive’s perspective to enable us to

provide valuable guidance to our clients whether we serve

them as in-house or outside counsel. The Annual Meet-

ing (May 4–7, 2022) will be the Forum’s rst-ever In-House

Counsel Summit aimed squarely at providing practical tools

for in-house lawyers addressing key construction issues.

Finally, our Summer Meeting (July 26–28, 2022) will address

the nuts, bolts, and nuances of negotiation—a valuable skill

for every construction lawyer.

In-house counsel members also benet from access to the

Forum’s Searchable Knowledge Database of written materials

from past national meetings. It’s quite valuable for in-house

counsel to be able to search a topic within the database and

immediately access quality, in-depth analyses from leading

construction law practitioners.

Forum Publications

The Forum offers an extensive library of high-quality pub-

lications for in-house counsel who, on any given day, must

quickly grasp the nuts and bolts of a variety of issues to

provide sound advice to executives and project teams. Con-

sidering the frequency with which in-house counsel must

deal with labor and employment issues, The Construction

Lawyer’s Guide to Labor & Employment Law is an invalu-

able guide tailored to the unique construction context. Most

recently, the Forum published the Design Professional’s

Guide to Construction Law, which focuses on laws applica-

ble to design professionals. Construction Defects provides a

framework for analyzing issues in the frequently changing

landscape of construction defects. Whether the need is for

a quick study of federal, state, or local construction project

issues; construction insurance; alternative dispute resolution;

or construction contracts, the Forum offers practical guides

to help in-house counsel get up to speed.

Forum periodicals keep in-house counsel abreast of

emerging trends in construction law. The Construction

Lawyer provides in-depth, scholarly analysis of the legal

implications of construction industry issues, while Under

Construction offers practical guidance on current legal topics.

Forum Benef‌its for In-House Counsel

The Forum has been fortunate to have several in-house coun-

sel serve in leadership positions and to otherwise contribute

their time and talent to help us “build the best construc-

tion lawyers.” We continue to solicit their input into how

the Forum can address the needs of in-house counsel. This

column highlighted some of the Forum resources and how

they translate into value for in-house counsel. Stay tuned for

future columns addressing other benets of Forum mem-

bership to in-house practitioners.

Arlan D. Lewis is a partner with Blueprint Construction Counsel, LLP.

He is Chair of the ABA’s Forum on Construction Law and is based in

Birmingham, AL.

Arlan D. Lewis

By Arlan D. Lewis

The Forum: Providing Valuable

Resources to In-House Counsel