A season of renewal. (President's Page).

These are challenging times for those of us who chose our profession because we wanted to help injured people. A new Congress convenes this month with a decidedly anticonsumer agenda that threatens to erode the rights and remedies that our civil justice system guarantees. ATLA has always fought hard to protect families, workers, and seniors, and we'll fight harder than ever now.

There's no better time to recommit ourselves to the mission with which we began the practice of law: to represent ordinary people against far more powerful corporate interests and their political allies. And there's no better time to ensure our association's future success, so that the work we do today will continue 10, 20, even 50 years from now--no matter what difficulties may lie ahead.

This issue of TRIAL underscores the importance of that effort. It focuses on choices and challenges that all trial lawyers confront, but that are especially pertinent to new attorneys. Members of ATLA's New Lawyers Division advised the editors in planning the "Start Me Up!" theme, as part of the division's broader effort to support and energize the new lawyers in our ranks and show others why they should join us.

Recently, the division has galvanized its 13,000 members, all in practice fewer than 10 years, under dynamic leaders with fresh ideas. New lawyers in ATLA are now served better than ever--and they are making an increasingly significant contribution to our work.

Consider these highlights from the New Lawyers' recent activities:

Sponsorship program. The division, like the association as a whole, has made the recruitment of new members one of its highest priorities. It launched a program that introduces recent law school graduates to ATLA, under which these brand-new members' first-year dues are paid by a current member from their state. When they see all that ATLA has to offer them, we expect that most will remain members and strengthen us for years to come.

Fund-raisers. New Lawyers Division members have participated enthusiastically in several important fund-raising efforts over the past two years, and in every case the results exceeded their goals. These fund-raisers have helped support political candidates committed to protecting civil justice.

Leadership development. The next generation of ATLA leaders is being groomed in the New Lawyers Division. It now holds a voting seat on the association's Executive Committee, and its own Board of Governors has tripled in size over the past year. These developments indicate a level of activism, leadership, and commitment among the New Lawyers that bodes well for our future.

Networking and communication. ATLas new, improved Web site, launched in November, includes a section devoted to the division's programs and its members' needs. Among the site's features are a document library and reports on the New Lawyers' many public service projects, including a Habitat for Humanity program in which volunteers help build homes for low-income families during ATLA conventions. The division newsletter, The Sidebar, has also been revamped, and more members communicate via the list server than ever before. All these tools provide ways for members to share information and ideas that will help them become better lawyers and fully informed and involved ATLA citizens.

Promotion of the Exchange. Perhaps more than any other member group, new lawyers can benefit from their ATLA colleagues' experience by tapping into the Exchange to find court documents, deposition transcripts, information on expert witnesses, and other practical litigation-support material. The New Lawyers Division is spreading the word about this gold mine of information--so that its members can use the vast resources of the Exchange and contribute to its growing database.

Trial Lawyers Care. Our program to provide free legal services to victims of the 2001 terrorist attacks is still under way, and many of ATLA's New Lawyer members have volunteered their time to represent eligible families filing claims under the federal September 11th Victim Compensation Fund.

As a season of renewal begins, I am eager to work with all of you to recommit ourselves to our association, our mission, and our clients. ATLA is ready to meet the challenges of the new Congress and, indeed, the new century. Our New Lawyer members are a critical part of this rebirth.

If you are a new lawyer, I'm asking you to get more involved. The New Lawyers Division offers many ways to do so. Consider what you do best, and plunge in.

We need your energy, your drive, your passion for the civil justice system, and your strong belief in the good that trial lawyers do. After 20 years in practice, I still share that belief--we all do--but the vigor you bring to your work early in your career makes you especially well suited to shape the future.

We have to wage an uphill battle in the next few years. With your help, we will wage it well, and above all we will fight for our clients.