Trial Magazine

When I joined Koskoff, Koskoff & Bieder, Richard Bieder said to me, “We want you to be ­president of AAJ one day.” I thought he was crazy. The firm had a long tradition of supporting and leading the association, but the idea seemed impossible. Today, I am glad to be wrong, and I am honored to be your new president.

Not only did I see the AAJ presidency as a long shot, there was a time in my life when I had no interest in being a lawyer at all. As odd as it seems to me now, I wanted to be president of IBM! I studied business in college and planned a career in the corporate world. Even when I decided to attend law school, I intended to practice corporate law. Due to a series of random chances, I ended up at a personal injury law firm and found myself, again, thankful to be wrong.

I love being a trial lawyer. I love my clients and the challenge of forming a case strategy to protect them. I love digging into the issues. Most of all, I love the idea that we can change people’s lives, and I’m grateful to those who have changed mine. I am where I am today because of the support of others, especially those who encouraged me to become involved with AAJ.

As I think of this month’s Trial theme—depositions—I’m reminded of how much my peers’ advice has helped me in my career. I took my first deposition in a medical malpractice case involving an eye doctor whose negligence blinded his patient. I spent 50 hours preparing for the deposition and was confident as I entered the room to meet the doctor. Then, as we began, I noticed the medical records he brought were different from the ones I had.

Despite my hours of preparation, I had no idea what to do. Trying not to seem panicked, I had to excuse myself from the room and ask my colleagues for advice. The experience stuck with me over the years for the lessons it provided: Always expect the unexpected, and it’s OK to ask for help. 

New lawyers especially need guidance. A section in this month’s issue of Trial focuses on just that. It includes the basics of preparing a client, how to set bigger deposition goals, and more (p. 26). AAJ has myriad resources to help new and experienced attorneys with depositions. Some include: AAJ Education’s deposition colleges (the next one is in Portland, Ore., Sept. 13–15); AAJ Exchange’s Taking Depositions Litigation Packet; the AAJ Press book, Advanced Depositions Strategy & Practice by Phillip Miller and Paul Scoptur; and a DVD series on enhancing depo skills. 

Just like my first deposition did not go as planned, this year started off in a way many of us did not expect. We are now faced with a president and an anti-civil-justice majority in Congress doing everything they can to undermine our clients’ rights. It is a time of uncertainty in Washington, D.C., and around the country, but trial lawyers are made for moments like this. We will fight for our clients with everything we have and continue to build bridges and coalitions with those who share in our mission to protect the civil justice system and the right to a jury trial.

Being part of AAJ means that none of us is alone. AAJ has an amazing staff, Board of Governors, Executive Committee, and membership working tirelessly to protect our clients’ rights. I look forward to working with each of you in the year ahead.

Kathleen Nastri is an attorney at Koskoff, Koskoff & Bieder in Bridgeport, Conn. She can be reached at kathleen.nastri@justice.org.