Trial Magazine

As I received the presidential gavel from Kathleen Nastri in Denver last month, a thousand thoughts raced through my mind, but one thought really stood out—it is an incredible honor to be president of the American Association for Justice, and I am unbelievably grateful for the support and faith each of you has bestowed on me.

I have been a member of this association for almost 20 years. In that time, I have served on two dozen committees, councils, caucuses, and task forces. Through each one, I learned more about AAJ and its members. I learned that even though we come from different places and have different ­backgrounds, we have a lot in common.

We all chose a profession that can be challenging and frustrating, requiring long hours and hard work—and we all want to be the best at it for our clients. That is one reason I feel fortunate to have AAJ and the education and resources it provides. For example, this month’s issue of Trial focuses on getting ready for trial. Within this issue, you can learn about the steps to take in the months leading up to trial (p. 20), identifying juror types to help focus your case presentation (p. 34), and strategies to best communicate with conservative-leaning jurors (p. 42).

Additionally, AAJ Education and the National College of Advocacy provide several opportunities every year to help new and experienced lawyers strengthen their pretrial skills. The upcoming Trial Advocacy College: Depositions, held Sept. 6–8 in Detroit, offers a combination of lectures and workshops that teach practical, proven techniques to take depositions and create a solid discovery plan. The Advanced Depositions College in January 2019, held in New Orleans, goes further with smaller workshop groups and in-depth demonstrations of pretrial skills such as witness preparation.

As both an attendee and longtime faculty member, I can attest to the ­benefits of these colleges and all AAJ Education programs, which allow us to learn from one another and do our jobs better. I am proud to be part of an association that understands that what we do as trial lawyers—protecting those who need it most—is important. AAJ fights every day to protect the rights of consumers, patients, workers, and others from attacks on the civil justice system. That ­underlying fight guides everything we do.

I have several goals for my presidency, but one requires immediate attention: the upcoming midterm elections, which will have a significant impact on trial lawyers and our ability to protect our clients’ rights. It is crucial that we elect pro-civil-justice candidates this November, and I am challenging all AAJ members, myself included, to help make that happen.

Talk to your colleagues about the challenges we face when seeking justice for our clients. Participate in AAJ ­advocacy activities such as our Lobby Days. Support pro-civil-justice candidates financially if you are able. Spend your Election Day safeguarding the right to vote by taking part in AAJ’s Voter Protection Action Com­mittee. Email outreach@justice.org for information about how you can participate. And, of course, use your voice and vote! Because advocating for your clients doesn’t end in the courtroom.

I look forward to working with each of you this year to strengthen AAJ’s education and advocacy and to ensure AAJ continues to be an excellent resource for all trial lawyers. Thank you for your support and for reminding me that this job is worth the hard work.

Elise Sanguinetti is a partner at Arias Sanguinetti Wang & Torrijos in Oakland, Calif. She can be reached at elise.sanguinetti@justice.org.