A new leader for challenging times.

There was plenty of enthusiasm, excitement, and renewed energy for our cause at ATLA's 2005 Winter Convention in Palm Springs, California, last month. One reason for the upbeat, ready-for-anything mood was the presence of Jon Haber, ATLA's new CEO.

If you haven't met or heard about Jon yet, let me introduce you. He joins ATLA at a critical moment for our nation and our organization, when a hostile White House and Congress are bent on eviscerating consumers' legal rights. Jon's background in running large organizations and managing communications campaigns will be especially valuable in these challenging times.

He comes to ATLA from the international public affairs firm Fleishman-Hillard, where he was a senior partner and manager specializing in strategic and corporate communications. And he is a veteran of five presidential campaigns, including Bill Clinton's 1992 effort.

Jon has also held key senior leadership positions with Sens. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt. and now ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee) and Dianne Feinstein (D-Cal.), as well as in the Clinton administration. He has played leading roles in a number of high-profile public policy campaigns involving Supreme Court nominations, access to justice, educational opportunity, consumer protection, and environmental safeguards.

Jon is also an attorney, a graduate of the University of San Francisco Law School. He practiced in California, is a member of the California Bar, and is licensed to practice before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Jon's arrival at ATLA was the culmination of a wide-ranging search for a suitable successor to Tom Henderson, who left the association last month after 17 years of dedicated service as executive director and CEO. Tom set a high standard for leadership and management of ATLA headquarters and staff, and we knew it would be difficult to find the man or woman who could carry on that work with the same passion and excellence.

Over several months, ATLA conducted an extensive search for a new CEO. President-Elect Ken Suggs led the efforts of the 14-member search committee, which included Tom, ATLA Chief Financial Officer Don Walker, and me.

We were fortunate to meet a number of talented and prominent candidates. In the end, we knew Jon was right for the job: We were deeply impressed with his breadth of ideas, relevant experience, and commitment to the principles ATLA stands for.

In our interviews with Jon, his energy and enthusiasm for the task ahead were apparent, and his ideas about ATLA's needs were focused and thoughtful. He received the unanimous vote of both the search committee and the Board of Governors.

We all know that we are working in a challenging environment in Washington, but it is one Jon knows well. I believe his political, management, and public relations experience will help all our efforts to fight for justice and fairness for American families.

Spreading the message

A top priority for Jon is to ensure that ATLA continues to attract new members and provides plaintiff lawyers with outstanding information, continuing education, and other professional assistance needed to serve their clients successfully.

Jon will also help ATLA and the state trial lawyer associations develop a positive message to counter the myths about civil justice that opponents of consumer rights are aggressively peddling around the country. Drawing on his communications experience, Jon will help ATLA and the states spread the truth about what caps on damages and other restrictions on legal rights would really mean for the lives of ordinary Americans.

As Jon recently told a reporter for the Washington Post: "If it's your son or daughter who's been injured by a defective product or hurt because of a botched operation, then what the president's plan will do is take away your right for your case to be heard by an impartial jury. This issue is not about 'frivolous lawsuits,' it's about people having the right to a trial. It's not about driving doctors out of business, it's about corporate greed."

That's the message the American people need to hear. It's long been our message, and we'll continue to carry it to the public and to Congress and the state legislatures on the people's behalf. I'm delighted that Jon Haber will play a leading role in getting that message out.

As exciting as Jon's arrival is, this is a bittersweet time for ATLA as we bid Tom Henderson a fond farewell. I'd like to offer him my personal thanks for his many years of service and commitment to ATLA and its ideals. He won't say he's "retiring"--only moving on. We wish him all the best in whatever the future may bring.