In the name of justice.

Changes are under way at ATLA--exciting changes that will make us stronger and more effective as an organization as we confront adversaries looking to harm the civil justice system.

ATLA members attending our August convention in Seattle took a crucial step in the long-term campaign to fight for justice. The membership voted overwhelmingly--79 percent to 21 percent--to change our name to the American Association for Justice.

This vote wasn't taken lightly. It occurred after a thorough and spirited debate that played out on the association's list servers, in meetings of state trial lawyer associations, and finally at the membership meeting in Seattle.

The vote was held at the annual meeting as directed by the association's bylaws. And it took place as we celebrated an important achievement--the founding of our association 60 years ago.

Few of us today would recognize America as it existed in 1946. In that America, a factory worker who lost a limb as a result of negligence or was cheated out of a pension due to corporate greed had no place to go. There was no accountability, no truth, no rights, and no justice.

Sixty years ago, nine lawyers founded our association--calling it the National Association of Compensation Attorneys, the first of six names that have graced our organization. The founders shared an essential fundamental belief: Every person deserves justice.

Because of their work--and the efforts of tens of thousands of trial lawyers who followed them--our citizens are safer today. Americans enjoy safer workplaces, toys that don't harm children, highways free of carnage, and better medical care as a result of ATLA members' labors.

It's because of these successes that the drug and oil industries, big insurance companies, and other large corporations launched a well-funded counterattack more than a generation ago. Using front groups like the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and phony think tanks, they have spent billions of dollars to misinform the public in an attempt to eliminate the only thing left holding them accountable--the civil justice system.

They're still at it today.

To mask their true intentions, these powerful interests have spread lies, misrepresented data, and manipulated the facts to demonize trial lawyers, blaming us for everything from clogging the courts to increasing the cost of health care. Their shameful tactics are no surprise--we represent the people who use the civil justice system to hold them accountable for their negligent and harmful actions.

Simply put, they will say anything, do anything, and spend everything they can to evade responsibility. Because of these attacks, our historic role as the advocates and defenders of justice is more important than ever.

Telling the truth

That's why last year we launched an unprecedented effort to fight back--embodied in our Fight for Justice Campaign. Our goal is to tell the true story of the civil justice system as well as the story of the attorneys who are essential to protecting the constitutional right of every American to seek redress for injury in a court of law, as enshrined in the Seventh Amendment.

We have challenged these big corporations and their CEOs. We are telling the true story of the civil justice system. And we are moving aggressively to make sure that no attack or falsehood goes unchallenged.

Changing the name of our organization to the American Association for Justice is part of that effort. While our members are still trial lawyers, our name reminds Americans of what we do each and every day--fight for justice.

What we represent is justice, the ideal that everyone is equal in the eyes of the law and possesses an innate power to right wrongs and hold wrongdoers accountable for their actions. Everyone in our organization of trial lawyers believes in justice and moving toward that achievable goal.

What we're doing is not unusual. Many organizations, like the American Medical Association, go by a name that focuses on what their members do.

As attorneys, we work to make sure any person who is injured by the misconduct and negligence of others can get justice in the courtroom, even when taking on the most powerful interests.

This is more important now than ever because the drug and oil industries, big insurance companies, and other large corporations dominate our political process. The public no longer can depend on the political system to hold corporations accountable. When corporations and their CEOs act irresponsibly by delaying or refusing to pay fair and just insurance claims, producing unsafe products, polluting our environment, or swindling their employees and shareholders, the last resort for Americans to hold them accountable is in our courts.

It's all about justice. And our new name--the American Association for Justice--reminds the public of that each and every day.