The rebirth of the IADC.

• Author: Sinclair, J. Walter
• Position: International Association of Defense Counsel - President's Page

THE International Association of Defense Counsel is celebrating its 83rd year, and the Executive Committee has undertaken a strategic analysis of the association, refocusing and redefining the purpose of the association to propel us into the 21st century.

Times Change

Over the years, the IADC has undertaken a lot of activities and programs, and it is emerging as the association it was originally designed to be: the "oldest and most prestigious international organization of attorneys representing corporations and insurers." The IADC is a place where you improve your trial skills, while networking with the best defense and corporate trial attorneys in the world. We also are becoming a publicly recognized organization in the legislative and judicial rule-making communities. We have improved numerous programs to accomplish this goal, and we continue to build on our successes.

Defense Counsel Journal

The IADC's Defense Counsel Journal continues to rank among the best journals of its type for presenting current, cutting-edge articles on points of interest to our general membership, as well as the defense and corporate counsel community in general. We have appointed a task force to focus on increasing the subscription list of DCJ and to assist in placing it in all of the appellate court judges' offices. While we have a broad subscription base already, the quality of this publication deserves the broadest coverage possible, and it is imperative that the members of the judiciary receive a defense and corporate perspective on the important legal issues being addressed in every issue.

Continuing Legal Education

The IADC is dedicated to professional development, and its programs especially emphasize trial techniques. We are focusing on the American Civil Jury System at our upcoming 2004 Midyear Meeting in February in Orlando. This is shaping up as an exceptional program. President-elect George Hodges and I are committed to making this a two-year project by identifying distinct aspects of the trial practice and programming our CLE presentations around these trial skills. This will bring something of value to all our members by way of improving their trial skills and increasing their knowledge of the trial practice. One of the hot topics at the 2004 midyear meeting will be examining the lessons of how the U.S. Supreme Court's punitive damages decision in State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co. v. Campbell should change your practice, how it will cause...