Message from the President

Message from 2024-2025 President
 

Jason Branch

     As of the writing of this message, we just recently completed another outstanding Annual Convention, wrapping up another successful year at GTLA and ushering in the start of a new year. Before we look to next year, I must congratulate and thank Immediate Past-President Madeleine Simmons, CEO Caroline McClean, Past-President Dan Snipes, our lobbying team, our officers and our Executive Committee for their hard work and tireless efforts in making this past year the success that it was.  We are blessed to have so many members volunteer their time, talents, and treasure to protect and preserve the civil justice system and all citizens’ Seventh Amendment right to a trial by jury. In addition, we are blessed to have the most talented and dedicated staff and lobbying team. Congratulations to all on an outstanding year and a job well done.

     As I commented on during my remarks at the Gala, the Annual Convention and Holiday seminar are two of my most favorite times of year. A time where we can put aside the everyday hustle and bustle and stresses of our practices and have the opportunity to hear such inspiring stories from such fine trial lawyers and the good that they are doing all around the state. If you are like me, these gatherings cause you to reflect back on why we chose to do what do in the first place. You hear from legislators, some of whom are lawyers and some of whom are not, talk about the value and importance of our civil justice system. You see Representative Roger Bruce brought to tears by being awarded an honorary law degree from John Marshall School of Law upon his retirement from the legislature – brought to tears because he has seen over the years what we as trial lawyers have the opportunity to do for our clients and the citizens of this great state.

     Our profession is more than just a profession. I believe for most it is a calling.  A calling to represent those in their greatest time of need – an opportunity to represent good and innocent people, who find themselves in a situation where tragedy has befallen them or one of their loved ones. We find individuals and families that are in the midst of living their worst of times – where their life has ended or been shattered beyond recognition. We have the opportunity to meet them exactly where they are – in the middle of their sorrow, grief, loss, frustration, anger and confusion. We are given the opportunity to provide hope – not hope in making everything go away – but the hope that comes with finding out the truth, finding out why this happened, the hope of holding those responsible for their tragedy responsible, and the hope that comes ultimately from justice being served.

     That is what you, the members of this great organization, do on a daily basis.  Collectively, we make a difference in this world, case by case, family by family. I could not be more proud of the work that this organization does and the work that is accomplished on a daily basis by our members. To have the opportunity to stand along side each and every one of you is a blessing, and to have the opportunity to serve this organization and you as GTLA’s 69^th President is simply the utmost honor and privilege of a lifetime. I am excited about the year ahead and my promise to you is that you and this organization will have my full attention and will receive my best efforts to do all that I can to continue and build upon all of the great work that has been accomplished and started by the many outstanding Presidents that have gone before me.

     In looking ahead to the upcoming year, we, in one sense, find ourselves in a familiar place. There are numerous organizations and special interest groups bound and determined to continue their efforts to undermine the civil justice system in the state of Georgia by calling for and demanding various forms of tort reform. As we heard at the Annual Convention from multiple veteran legislators and from our own veteran lobbying staff,  this past legislative session was one of the most demanding and grueling in many years. The level of activity and the volume of bills that would seek to undermine the civil justice system is ever increasing. The session ended with the passing of the “Data Analysis for Tort Reform Act.” This Act calls for the Insurance Commissioner to conduct a study and collect data from the insurance industry with an eye toward ultimately recommending various forms of tort reform that should be enacted in our state. We expect we will see many groups use the anticipated “findings” of this report to call for further tort reform measures to be passed next year and in the years to come. Make no mistake about it – a battle is brewing and a battle undoubtedly lies ahead.

     What can all of us as individual members be doing to help shore up our defenses and prepare for this battle that lies ahead? I hope that is a question that each of us will ask ourselves. There are currently 2004 attorneys, who are members of GTLA. What can each of us do to help? One of our primary initiatives for the coming year is to increase the number of members who participate in our political giving efforts – both in terms of our Directed Giving program and our Civil Justice PAC. Providing support to those who support our civil justice system and the 7^th Amendment right to trial by jury is imperative to the long term success of this organization, the long term success of our individual practices and most importantly to the preservation of the rights and well-being of all of the citizens of Georgia.

     Of our current 2004 attorney members, approximately 11% participate in our Directed Giving program and approximately 30% give to our Civil Justice PAC. For those members who are actively engaged in our political giving efforts, thank you! The current levels of participation, however, present a tremendous opportunity for growth and we need more members to participate in our political giving efforts. If you are reading this and not currently giving to the Civil Justice PAC or participating in our Directed Giving program in any capacity then please do so today.  As an organization, we will spend considerable time, effort and energy increasing these participation levels over the coming year.  Please help us in this regard.  Again, increasing participation in these endeavors is vitally important to the future of this organization, our livelihoods and the civil justice system in the state of Georgia as we know it.

     Our second main initiative this year will be to seek the thoughts, opinions and input from you, our members, as to how GTLA can enhance your membership and make it even more valuable, more meaningful, and more helpful to your practice than it already is today. For the first time that I can recall, we will actively survey our membership and solicit your input and feedback on a specific set of items and issues. Our hope is that this survey will provide our members a voice and provide an opportunity for each member to give critical feedback on things that we as an organization may be doing well, things that we could improve on, and new things that we could start doing to better serve our members and enhance the value of their membership.  Please be on the lookout for information regarding this survey, which we hope to have out at the beginning of the summer, and please share your thoughts and ideas on how we can better serve you and enhance the value of your membership in GTLA. The Executive Committee will carefully review and analyze the results of this survey at its upcoming retreat in August. We look forward to hearing from each of you and learning how we can improve, better serve you and this organization and further the overall mission of GTLA. 

     It is an honor and privilege to serve as your President. I look forward to working along side with CEO Caroline McClean, Immediate Past-President Madeleine Simmons, President-Elect Josh Carroll, Executive Vice President Alan Hamilton, Secretary John Bey, Treasurer Natalie Woodward, Parliamentarian Brandon Peak and all of our past Presidents over the coming year. I am also extremely grateful for the Executive Committee members and Committee Chairs, who are eager and excited to make this coming year the best it can be.

     On behalf of the entire Executive Committee, we appreciate your trust in us and we appreciate your support. We look forward to hearing from you, working with you and serving you this year! As we all do in our practices every day, collectively we can make a difference for the benefit of all of the citizens of the great state of Georgia.