Ted Frank of Overlawyered and David Weigel of Hit and Run and Al Kamen of the Washington Post, among others, confirm report (see Update below) that ATLA -- the erstwhile Association of Trial Lawyers of America, the leading national organization for our worthy brethren in the plaintiffs' bar -- has elected to change its name to the American Association for Justice.
ATLA/AAJ is behind the times with this name change idea: it has been eleven years now since the California Trial Lawyers Association changed its name to become the Consumer Attorneys of California.
Here, though, is the troubling question that first sprang to my mind on hearing about this latest name change:
Which member of the Association will reap the enormous fee recovery that will go to the first to file a class action trademark infringement/likelihood-of-confusion lawsuit against the rechristened organization on behalf of the Justice League of America?
[Justice League cover via Steve Englehart.]
~~~
UPDATE [1600 PDT]:
Oh, phooey! This story may in fact be just too good, and too amusing, to be true.
~~~
FURTHER UPDATE [072106]:
Norm Pattis of Crime & Federalism is seriously unamused by ATLA's name change. So much so, that he is electing to resign his own membership in the organization:
What's in a name? Not much. Unless you are a trial lawyer ashamed of your calling and afraid that someone might some day come seize your Lear Jet.
American Association for Justice? Forgive me, but I thought all members of the bar were a member of that association.
FINAL [?] UPDATE [072106, 1518 PDT]:
It's official: the name change is for real and has been formally adopted, per Evan Schaeffer, who is certainly in a position to know.
Martin Grace is attempting to ascertain the secret identities of members of ATLA/AAJ.
There is, so far as I am aware, no truth to the rumor that the erstwhile trial attorneys' opposite numbers at DRI are considering a name change of their own, to the Society for the Perpetually Vigilant Scourging of Evil.
I like your idea. It might also liven up the illustrations in Trial Magazine.
Posted by: Aaron | July 14, 2006 at 09:58 PM
We still think the "At Least a-Third" Law Association says it best.
Posted by: Prof. Yabut | July 25, 2006 at 07:28 PM