NATLE FYI

Good Morning and Happy Friday!

For registrants for the NATLE Annual Meeting in Chicago, I have updated the list of who has tickets for the Cruise.  Invoices have gone out, so please let me know if you need a fresh one.

Otherwise, meetings at NATLE HQ are few and far between as we gear up for Chicago.  Sorting ribbons, sponsorship signs, and event tickets are easy tasks that provide a nice break from worrying over deadlines for materials, BEOs, and deposits.

That’s the very brief NATLE Weekly Wrap.  Have a great weekend!

P.S. In case you’re still here…It is quite a week in our countries with honoring Canada Day, we’re both still in the FIFA World Cup, and America’s 250th Independence Day.  I’m happy about all three, but that last one is…complicated.

Good Morning and Happy Friday!

On Monday, our 4th Monday Zoom Series was led by two great reps from FastDemocracy.  They covered how professional associations can move beyond bill tracking to cultivate real advocacy among their members. If you're tracking bills in a professional capacity as a government relations professional or lobbyist, you'll find value in FastDemocracy Professional. It includes advanced features like real-time alerts, customizable reporting, team collaboration, TranscriptAI, and customer support. There is a free version. It allows you to track bills, research legislators and committees, and receive daily or weekly email updates on your priority bills. There are no time limits, no ads, and no limits to the number of bills you can track.  (Slide deck and recording are available for members via link above.)

That’s the NATLE Weekly Wrap.  Have a great weekend!

P.S. In case you’re still here…I dug out a hummingbird feeder from the tool shed that wasn’t doing anyone any good gathering dust.  I cleaned and filled it and hung it from the soffit outside my office window this week.  A handful of ruby-throated hummingbirds have found it, but not the throngs that visit my aunt & uncle’s feeder in Michigan.  The chance to marvel over this impossibly quick creature as they sit ‘n sip for even a few seconds is a gift.  It’s already been a great day that started with a walk with a good friend I don’t see nearly often enough, a hummingbird sighting, and an almost-unheard-of second cup of coffee.  I’m on a tear!

P.P.S. Weather update: So, while my immediate area didn’t experience any tornados in last week’s storm, I’ve since found out that two actually touched down in Vermont.  One was less than 30 miles away with winds of 105 mph.  They took out large and distinct swaths of forests like a petulant giant swatted the tops off the trees, removed roofs, and tossed an ice cream shop’s chest freezer like it was a featherweight toy.  Awesome nature…and I mean that in an awe-filled way.

Good Morning and Happy Juneteenth!

On Monday, please join us at 4pmET for our next 4th Monday Zoom Series.  Discover how leading TLAs are using FastDemocracy to transform legislative tracking into meaningful member engagement.  FastDemocracy representatives will provide a live demonstration of their platform and show how you can:

• Mobilize members to contact legislators at the right moment
• Keep advocacy messaging consistent with shared talking points
• Track priority legislation with ease
• Research legislators and committees
• Receive customized daily or weekly legislative updates

Already used by several TLAs, FastDemocracy offers unlimited bill tracking, no time restrictions, and an ad-free experience designed for effective advocacy.  Bring your questions, learn from your peers, and explore new ways to strengthen your association’s legislative impact.

Random Reminder: If you want to follow, or be followed, check the Member Directory for links to social media.  You can update your member record settings through your myNATLE page once you log in to the NATLE site.

The advanced dues period has begun and that means dues paid now are good through the end of next fiscal year, Aug 31, 2027.  That’s three months FREE!  If you’ve had staffing changes or signed on new personnel, now is a great time to get them on board.

That’s the NATLE Weekly Wrap.  Have a great weekend!

P.S. In case you’re still here…Vermont has its share of weather-related events, like floods, blizzards, and the occasional forest fire, but we had a rare tornado alert on Thursday.  Unlike during my stint in NC, I don’t have firsthand experience of a tornado in VT, but I have seen the aftermath.  The damage and destruction are chilling.  Thankfully, nothing more than a few rumbles of thunder this time.

Good Morning and Happy Friday!

Our next 4th Monday Zoom Series is scheduled for June 22 at 4pmET.  Two representatives from FastDemocracy will demonstrate how their platform can be used to mobilize your members for timely action with their legislators, while also enabling everyone to use the same talking points.  Several TLAs already know the benefits of this system – it allows you to track bills, research legislators and committees, and receive daily or weekly email updates on your priority bills. There are no time limits, no ads and no limits to the number of bills you can track.  Come with your questions for the FastDemocracy team and for your colleagues, and register for this session on how to “Turn Bill Tracking into Member Action”.

The advanced dues period has begun and that means dues paid now are good through the end of next fiscal year, Aug 31, 2027.  That’s three months FREE!  If you’ve had staffing changes or signed on new personnel, now is a great time to get them on board.

That’s the NATLE Weekly Wrap.  Have a great weekend!

P.S. In case you’re still here…I had another appointment on Monday at the dealership I mentioned in this space last week, but this time it included a somber note.  The shuttle driver giving me a ride back to retrieve my car has been around forever and knows me well, as well as my family’s 50-year history with the dealership.  It was just the two of us in the car, so I recounted for him the case of the mistaken identity by Jack, the owner, those 25 years ago.  After a pause, he let me know that Jack had just passed away the previous Monday, four days before my P.S.  RIP Jack.

P.P.S. I’ll be out for a few hours this morning to attend my goddaughter’s high school graduation. I remember her baptism a decade ago (yes, she was not a baby).  Episcopalians like our candles, even more than I find comfortable, and for Easter Vigil, everyone gets handed a candle along with the service leaflet.  Except for my senior year in high school, I’ve always had long hair, often in a ponytail.  The analogy of a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs comes to mind.  Anyway, Pryce and I were at the font with the deacon waiting for her turn to receive the blessing.  Candles were, again, involved and someone’s candle let fly an ember that landed on the hem of the deacon’s robe.  Not missing a beat or creating a scene, I reached down and flicked it off.  I still chuckle when I remember the shared look I had with Pryce that, hoo boy, that coulda been bad!

Good Morning and Happy Friday!

Be sure to check back in on the brochure for our NATLE Annual Meeting in Chicago (July 25-27).  The program is updated a few times a week with more info about the speakers and more descriptive titles for the sessions, as well as locations of the various AAJ activities.  (I believe the only one we’re waiting on is the New Lawyers Division party.)  The regular rate to register ends next Friday and the AAJ room block regularly fills up early, so save $50 and register today!

The Planning Committee for our Governmental Affairs Conference (November 7-9 Sat-Mon) is meeting this afternoon to begin laying out the program.  Please let me know if there are topics or speakers you’d like to see in the agenda.  While you’re saving dates, add on a day for our first in-person Leadership Symposium (Nov 6) since before the pandemic.  It is designed for you as TLA drivers, as well as your volunteer leaders, so gather your crew and join us for a full-day session with Jes Averhart at the lovely Westin La Paloma in Tucson.

That’s the NATLE Weekly Wrap.  Have a great weekend!

P.S. In case you’re still here…It has been just over a year since I mentioned in this space that I’m regularly mistaken for someone else.  It happened again this week in the grocery store parking lot.  A gent I definitely do not know gave me a hearty wave from 50 feet away as he was exiting the store.  I did a double-take and saw he was still looking my way, so I gave a non-committal lift of my hand and a closed-lip, but friendly smile.  Thankfully, I had my sunglasses on so he couldn’t see my squinty look of confusion.  Whoever he thought I was must only be an acquaintance since he didn’t stop to chat.  I get the most mileage out of a story of when I was waiting for service on my Honda at the dealership back in college.  The owner, and father of a friend who sold me my first car, saw me talking to his son in the show room.  He came up behind me and gave me a bear hug – he thought I was his son’s old girlfriend and said a lot about how he probably wished John hadn’t broken up with her.  He quickly realized his mistake, turned 180, and left so fast there was a trail of smoke in his wake with barely an audible “oops”.  I don’t mind these random encounters, I just wish I could finally meet this worldly woman of mystery.

Good Morning and Happy Friday!

Thanks, again, to all who submitted nominations for seats on the NATLE Board of Directors.  The Nominating Committee met on Monday to finalize the FY27 Slate.  This slate will be distributed early next month along with an agenda for the Membership Business Meeting on Sunday, July 26 in Chicago.

I shared an early AAJ registration list for the Annual Meeting in Chicago last Friday so you can see who among your members is signed up.  I’ll continue to distribute every other week as we approach the conference.

It’s not too early to register for the NATLE Annual Meeting in Chicago (July 25-27).  Airline prices are climbing and the AAJ room block regularly fills up early.

Enjoy Chicago from the river on a NATLE-only, chartered riverboat tour the afternoon of Saturday, July 25th (4:30p to ~7:30p).  Our friends at Supio are sponsoring the activity to reduce the ticket cost ($25).  The dock is a 2-minute walk across the street from the Hyatt and we’ll have the whole boat so families and guests are welcome to join us for this guided and catered private cruise.  Invoices will go out next week.  We are already half-full so be sure to reserve your spot!

If you’d like to have input on the program for our Governmental Affairs Conference in November, join the Planning Committee.  Send me an email and we’ll include you in the KickOff Meeting in the next few weeks.  Itinerary: Leadership Symposium on Friday, Nov 6; GAC on Sat-Mon, Nov 7-9; Westin La Paloma, Tucson.

That’s the NATLE Weekly Wrap.  Have a great weekend!

P.S. In case you’re still here…My life has been far from a wild ride, but I’m always up for an adventure.  It’s a thrill to get jazzed about a project, like a bathroom reno or a hike in the Blue Ridge Mountains, and have the purpose and self-reliance to see it through.  Well, I added a small check mark in the adventure column this week.  My Ring cameras regularly catch nocturnal visitors prowling through my back yard – some wild, some not.  Fed up with irresponsible pet owners, I decided to follow up on my post a few weeks ago to the neighborhood listserv about a local ordinance prohibiting loose pets.  I borrowed a have-a-heart trap, baited it with a can of tuna, and draped it with burlap.  All was quiet as I approached it the next morning and I couldn’t tell if it had been successful.  I hoped my nose would clue me in if it was a skunk, in which case I would have bailed on lifting the burlap and called Animal Control.  Sure enough, I caught the black cat that’s made an appearance several times.  Catching it was the easy part.  What to do with it was not.  The Humane Society had too many bureaucratic hoops that might take a few days and the nearest vet wasn’t going to be able to tell me if it was chipped.  Animal Control never called back.  Yes, I could have just released it, but that would have squandered the whole opportunity to make a point.  This pet’s owner needed to get the message somehow.  Long story short, I brought it to a friend who owns a cat lounge.  Yep, it’s a thing.  I hadn’t heard of it before I met her but it’s a cozy storefront where you can bring a coffee and your laptop and hang out with a small posse of cats.  We’ve both posted notice on the neighborhood listserv, and they’ve put up flyers in the ‘hood.  Spook will no doubt be reunited with his people and hopefully he won’t make another appearance on my cameras.

P.P.S. If you’re so inclined, I hope you’ll be able to see the Blue Moon on Sunday.

Good Morning and Happy Friday!

Thanks, again, to all who submitted nominations for seats on the NATLE Board of Directors.  The Nominating Committee met on Monday to finalize the FY27 Slate.  This slate will be distributed early next month along with an agenda for the Membership Business Meeting on Sunday, July 26 in Chicago.

I shared an early AAJ registration list for the Annual Meeting in Chicago last Friday so you can see who among your members is signed up.  I’ll continue to distribute every other week as we approach the conference.

It’s not too early to register for the NATLE Annual Meeting in Chicago (July 25-27).  Airline prices are climbing and the AAJ room block regularly fills up early.

Enjoy Chicago from the river on a NATLE-only, chartered riverboat tour the afternoon of Saturday, July 25th (4:30p to ~7:30p).  Our friends at Supio are sponsoring the activity to reduce the ticket cost ($25).  The dock is a 2-minute walk across the street from the Hyatt and we’ll have the whole boat so families and guests are welcome to join us for this guided and catered private cruise.  Invoices will go out next week.  We are already half-full so be sure to reserve your spot!

If you’d like to have input on the program for our Governmental Affairs Conference in November, join the Planning Committee.  Send me an email and we’ll include you in the KickOff Meeting in the next few weeks.  Itinerary: Leadership Symposium on Friday, Nov 6; GAC on Sat-Mon, Nov 7-9; Westin La Paloma, Tucson.

That’s the NATLE Weekly Wrap.  Have a great weekend!

P.S. In case you’re still here…My dad is a retired physician, a general practitioner who was a small-town doc with his own office in between stints as state epidemiologist for the states of Vermont, New Mexico, and New Hampshire.  For years now, he’s been bemoaning the steady decrease in “comprehensiveness” of the annual physical exam.  Docs are forced to squeeze what used to take an hour into 15 to 20 minutes, while also covering quality of life or social determinants of health questions.  My latest physical was last week and the only hands-on was listening to my heart and lungs.  BP and heart rate are taken by the nurse, but the doc didn’t check my ears, nose, or even my lymph nodes.  Thankfully, I’m healthy, eat (mostly) right, and get plenty of exercise, so I don’t throw up any red flags, but I’d still find it comforting to have a little more confirmation.  I won’t go as far as saying I’m becoming my father, but I can see his point.

Good Morning and Happy Friday!

Thank you to all who submitted nominations for seats on the NATLE Board of Directors.  The Nominating Committee will meet on Monday to finalize the FY27 Slate which will then be distributed early next month.

Be a part of shaping the program for our Governmental Affairs Conference in November.  Suggesting topics and/or speakers helps at the most essential level, and if you want to be more hands-on, we have a spot for you on the Planning Committee!  Shoot me an email and we’ll include you in the KickOff Meeting.

Registration for the NATLE Annual Meeting in Chicago (July 25-27) is strong and if you’re still deciding, please consider that the AAJ room block regularly fills up early.  You must also register with AAJ.  This step is free and this is the only way you’ll have a name badge that provides entry to all AAJ events like the Opening Reception and New Lawyers Division Party!  Once you complete the NATLE registration process, you will automatically be added to a NATLE-member only (no vendors), listserv for Chicago registrants to help with any pre-con (and during-con!) arrangements. Coordinate rides from the airport, find a fellow museum goer, or catch up with a colleague for dinner—connect and make it happen!

Our riverboat tour along the Chicago River will sail on Saturday, July 25th (4:30p to ~7:30p).  Our friends at Supio are sponsoring the activity to reduce any ticket cost (~$25-$30).  The dock is a 2-minute walk from the Hyatt and we’ll have the whole boat so families and guests are welcome to join us for this guided and catered private cruise.  We’ll go rain or shine as we explore amazing architecture, skyline vistas, and listen to stories about why no other city is like Chicago.  This interactive experience includes the “ugly buildings” (like the House of Blues – AAJ Opening Reception!) and the City’s underbelly.  Reserve your spot(s)!  (We may come back to the dock early so since the COP is inviting EDs to attend their dinner – details to come.)

That’s the NATLE Weekly Wrap.  Have a great weekend!

P.S. In case you’re still here…I know how I missed the Veronica Mars series that first aired in 2004.  I had just moved to North Carolina and was finding my sea legs with the National High School Mock Trial Championship that was to be hosted in Charlotte nine months later.  I was busy studying everything about NASCAR to learn the lingo so the fact pattern would sound realistic.  Back in the pre-on-demand-TV days, a high school drama didn’t grab me.  A few months ago, the series popped up in my Netflix “suggested for you” menu, so, knowing what it meant to my exercise class pals in the Millennial set, I gave it a looksee.  I already knew the cast from their later work, but the storyline was the hook.  There are only four seasons, but when there are 20+ episodes per, it feels like more.  I finished it up earlier this week, but watcher beware, if you don’t want to be thoroughly depressed, don’t watch the last 10 minutes of the last episode.  Why, oh why did the writers have to end it that way?!  If ever there was a need for a show to have a choose-your-own-ending, this was it.

Good Morning and Happy Friday!

Honestly, I don’t have anything new to announce, so here’s a reminder about a few items and upcoming events.

We have a new Listserv to discuss Uber and other rideshare industry legislation.  It's the “NATLE Uber Rideshare Situation Room”.  Email address is natle_rideshare@lists.trialsmith.com.  Twenty participants, so far, so let me know if you and/or your government relations folks ought to be added.

Once you register for the NATLE Annual Meeting in Chicago (July 25-27), you must also register through AAJ.  This step is free and they produce the name badges that provide entry to all AAJ events like the Opening Reception and New Lawyers Division Party!  Once you complete the NATLE registration process, you will automatically be added to a NATLE-member only (no vendors), listserv for Chicago registrants to help with any pre-con (and during-con!) arrangements. From airport rides to morning runs and dinner in between—connect and make it happen!  Both registration confirmations contain a link to the hotel reservation site.  Don’t wait on reserving a room – NATLE does not have a secret cache of rooms for fence-sitters!

Our riverboat tour along the Chicago River will sail on Saturday, July 25th (4:30p to 7:30p).  Our friends at Supio are sponsoring the activity to reduce any ticket cost (~$25-$30).  The dock is a 2-minute walk from the Hyatt and we’ll have the whole boat so families and guests are welcome to join us for this guided and catered private cruise.  We’ll go rain or shine as we explore amazing architecture, skyline vistas, and listen to stories about why no other city is like Chicago.  This interactive experience includes the “ugly buildings” (like the House of Blues – AAJ Opening Reception!) and the City’s underbelly.  Reserve your spot(s)!  (After the cruise, the COP is inviting EDs to attend their dinner – details to come.)

The program in Chicago includes a mini leadership academy, “Lead Well, Live Well…The New Playbook for High-Impact Leadership and Staff Teams”, led by leadership consultant, Jes Averhart.  This interactive, high-energy experience is designed specifically for trial lawyer associations and draws from leadership work currently implemented across multiple TLAs, including California, Maryland, North Carolina and South Carolina.

We’ll also host Jes in November at our in-person Leadership Symposium: Built for the Full Leadership Team, a full-day program on Friday, Nov 6.  This is the day before the NATLE Governmental Affairs Conference in Tucson, November 7-9.  Leadership consultant, Jes Averhart, has designed this program specifically to bring together staff executives and volunteer leaders to build a shared direction, strengthen decision-making, and accelerate results.  Help us spread the word by notifying your president and/or president-elect.  The Westin La Paloma is expanding our room block to include Thursday night, Nov 5.  (If your volunteer leadership can only attend the Symposium and not the GAC, there will be a Symposium-only registration option.)  Help us right-size the room block and let us know how many rooms your team will need for Thursday night, Nov 5. 

Speaking of the GAC, a Planning Committee is in the early stages of forming, so let Alison Dodge or me know if you area interested in helping shape the program and topics.

That’s the NATLE Weekly Wrap.  Have a great weekend!

P.S. In case you’re still here…I met a hound dog this week and I don’t mean the four-legged kind.  No, this gent wanted to buy an item I had listed on FB Marketplace.  I never give out my home address unless it’s something too big for my vehicle, and then I ask my 6’4”, 400-pound neighbor to be my very imposing husband for the meet-up.  This time, though, we met in the parking lot of a nearby Verizon store.  First impression of this grizzled 80-year-old was, true Vermonter Grampa.  The exchange was perfect until the over-enthusiastic offers came to send photos of the finished project (he bought replacement wood slats for a park bench).  That was fine, but my skeeze-radar started buzzing when he said he’d invite me over for a BBQ to see it in person.  After running an errand, I came home to delete the listing as well as the FB text thread, thinking that would sever the connection.  Nope, within an hour, he wrote to ask me out for coffee.  I haven’t mastered the turn-down, so in a flop-sweat, I asked ChatGPT how to politely tell someone I’m not interested.  I followed its advice to be direct, said No, thank you, and blocked him.  Maybe what got his hopes up was when he tried to pay $125 for the item I had listed for $120 and I wouldn’t take the extra.  Honesty…who knew it is an aphrodisiac?!

Good Morning and Happy Law Day!

Today is the last day to submit names to the Nominating Committee.  Positions open to nomination are president-elect, treasurer, secretary, and five at-large seats.  If you are interested in becoming more active in the future direction of NATLE, or know someone who should be, click here for the nomination form.  All nominees will receive a follow-up questionnaire, due May 8th.

NOTE!  The riverboat tour is now an integral part of the Annual Meeting in Chicago set to sail on Saturday, July 25th (4:30p to 7:30p).  Our friends at Supio are sponsoring the activity to reduce any ticket cost (~$25-$30).  Families and guests are welcome to join us for this guided and catered excursion along the Chicago River.  The dock is a 2-minute walk from the Hyatt!  On this private cruise, we’ll explore amazing architecture, skyline vistas, stories, and more, discovering why no other city is like Chicago.  This will be an interactive experience to learn about the “ugly buildings” (this includes the House of Blues where we will have been for the AAJ Opening Reception!) and the City’s underbelly.  We’ll also have the whole boat and we’ll go rain or shine.  Reserve your spot(s)!  (The COP is inviting EDs to attend their dinner – details to come.)

Register for our Annual Meeting in Chicago (July 25-27).  NEW for this conference: Once you complete the NATLE registration process, you will automatically be added to a NATLE-member only (no vendors), listserv for Chicago registrants to help with any pre-con (and during-con!) arrangements. From airport rides to morning runs and dinner in between—connect and make it happen!  AAJ’s registration page is open and the confirmation contains a link to the hotel reservation site.  Don’t wait on registering and reserving a room – NATLE does not have a secret cache of rooms for fence-sitters! 

It’s back!  The in-person Leadership Symposium: Built for the Full Leadership Team will be a full-day program on Friday, Nov 6.  This is the day before the NATLE Governmental Affairs Conference in Tucson, November 7-9.  Leadership consultant, Jes Averhart, has provided a proposal to facilitate this valuable program designed specifically to bring together staff executives and volunteer leaders to build shared direction, strengthen decision-making, and accelerate results.  Help us spread the word by notifying your president and/or president-elect.  The Westin La Paloma is expanding our room block to include Thursday, Nov 5.  (If your volunteer leadership can only attend the Symposium and not the GAC, there will be a Symposium-only registration option.)  Help us right-size the room block and let us know ASAP how many rooms you’ll need for Thursday, Nov 5.

Speaking of the GAC, a Planning Committee is in the early stages of forming, so let Alison Dodge or me know if you area interested in helping shape the program and topics.

That’s the NATLE Weekly Wrap.  Have a great weekend!

P.S. In case you’re still here…Last night was the last exercise class for my friend, Sarah.  She’s putting her Pure Barre membership on pause as she counts down the last 25 days until she and her husband welcome their first baby, a daughter, to the family.  (I’ve been advocating for Amelia Rose or BethAnne Rose – Sarah’s last name is Rosenblum – but I’ve come to accept that I don’t have much sway in this whole naming thing.)  For those of us not directly involved, it feels like her pregnancy flew by, but for Sarah, the last eight-plus months have been a slog and she’s ready for it to be over.  Our little clutch of friends I lovingly call the Back Barre Babes will take her out for dinner in the next week or so since we recognize she won’t have as much time for us once Amelia comes along.

P.P.S. It’s Green Up Day tomorrow here in Vermont, at least.  If I’m not outside with other pickers, I’ll beep and wave a hand of thanks to those along the road who are.