Stronger together

Each of us can learn something valuable from one another

2025 January

From the first monthly educational dinner meeting that I attended through OCTLA years ago, I was instantly inspired and drawn to the camaraderie of its members and their constant willingness to help other members. I believe that OCTLA is a truly special organization. While members are “competitors,” it does not interfere with their willingness to help fellow members. I am and have been a member of several other trial-lawyer associations, including CAALA, and they all share the same common ideals, and this overall message applies to those associations as well.

As OCTLA enters its 62nd year, I would like to encourage all our members, along with members from any other trial lawyer associations, including CAALA, to ponder for a moment just why this organization and similar ones exist and what exactly we stand for. OCTLA’s mission statement is, “To protect the rights of people who have been harmed by the wrongful acts of others.” OCTLA began 62 years ago with a small group of ambitious lawyers and has grown rapidly over time, but our goals have never wavered. We are all commonly aligned with the same purpose of representing victims and fighting to ensure that they receive the justice that they deserve. Whether we are representing plaintiffs in personal-injury cases, employment-law cases, workers’ compensation cases, or other areas of law, we are all fighting the good fight. That is why it is extremely important to remember that we are all Stronger Together.

As I begin my role as president of OCTLA this year, I have also just completed my 20th year of practicing law. While I still feel youthful, it is hard to believe that I am now one of the oldest members on the board. I mention this because as we look around, we notice increasingly active, young, and aspiring lawyers becoming involved in OCTLA, including within leadership positions. I see this as a positive trend, whereas these are the lawyers who will continue the legacy built by our founding members and sustained by our seasoned lawyers. It is genuinely exciting to see younger members stepping up and advancing the success of this organization.

Seeking active participation of long-time members

It is also important to recognize those members who have laid the groundwork, who constantly support, and allow this organization to thrive. We have had remarkable attorneys who have served in leadership positions and others that have been extremely active; while some have chosen not to attend or are no longer as active as they once were. My goal this year is to change that. I want you to know that all attorney members are welcome at OCTLA. I encourage any member that has not been active recently to participate and get involved. Your experience and wisdom are valuable to all members, and we need your continued support.

Whether you are a brand-new attorney out of law school, or an attorney that has been practicing for 40 years, recognize that we can all learn from each other and help each other in a common goal of helping injured plaintiffs. Many of us are solo practitioners and others work in larger firms, but primarily, plaintiff firms are usually smaller in numbers. Every day, we go up against defense firms that have 50-100 attorneys, an unlimited workforce and bountiful resources. If we all work together, we can utilize OCTLA like one giant plaintiff’s law firm, putting us on equal footing with our opposition.

I have met truly remarkable, veteran attorneys over the years whom I consider mentors and dear friends, who have passed along priceless wisdom and advice to assist me in my own practice. They have never asked me for anything in return but support out of the goodness of their hearts because we are all rowing the boat in the same direction.

Likewise, I have met amazing young attorneys that are wise beyond their years. I have learned extremely valuable information from these lawyers as they have assisted me in how to approach my cases. I think the important takeaway for us is that we should never dismiss someone because of their age or level of experience. Each of us can learn something valuable from one another. Every one of our members brings a unique and individual perspective to OCTLA and that is what makes us so special.

Together, we all win

Representing the rights of people who have been harmed by the wrongful acts of others creates a unique and close bond among plaintiff lawyers. Whether you are practicing in the most northern corner of California, to the southern coast of San Diego, we must strive to work together and help each other ensure that our clients have the best possible representation. Take advantage of your trial lawyer association memberships and reach out to your fellow members for assistance. Whether that be advice on how to manage a particular situation, sharing information on past cases, or collaborating with other lawyers to work on the cases with you. We all win when we work together. When we all work together, we are Stronger Together.