NATLE FYI

Good Morning and Happy Friday!

Dues renewal notices have been distributed and 50% have renewed, so far, so thank you for your quick response! If you haven’t seen it or there are changes to your roster of members, address, or membership range (on ED notices only), please let me know.

The topic for September's 4th Monday Zoom Series (Sept 22 at 4pmET) is Turning Legal Trends into Member Value. Hear about the latest AI trends in the legal field, mutually beneficial marketing opps for you and your vendors, and available content and resources for members.

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

P.S. In case you’re still here…Forgive me if I've mentioned hearing my late mother's voice in my head in this space before, but I was reminded of it this past weekend. I attended the memorial service for the mother of a high school friend. I couldn't stay for the interment, so I figured the only way to get a sec with my friend, sitting up front with her family, and let her know I was there to support her, was to go up for communion. This was a Catholic service and I was raised in the Episcopal church, so when it was my turn, I crossed my hands to my shoulders and accepted a blessing. I'm sure that saved me from getting struck by lightning and creating a scene -- after all, it's not about me in this moment. Passing that test, I was then able to hug my friend. She sent a text the next morning thanking me for coming. I shared with her that while I miss my mother every day, it gets less painful and I smile every time I hear her voice in my head giving me advice or scolding me as I do something stupid. A real doozy came at the beginning of the pandemic. Like the rest of the world, I made my first loaf of bread in ages, though I cheated and used a breadmaker. It was a crusty wheat and I wanted a thick piece, still warm, to go with my tomato soup. Rather than cutting down like we're all taught from Day 1, I started sawing across and, yes, toward my left hand holding the loaf steady. This is when I could hear Mom's voice, "Don't do it...you know this is wrong...I taught you better!" It seemed in slow motion, but the slip was quick. I masked up and drove myself to the walk-in ER for seven stitches in the pad of my thumb. I apologized profusely for wasting the staff's time with an asinine injury and not something more serious, like COVID. They actually appreciated the break to work on a case they knew they could fix. In the five years since that incident, I'm better at listening when I hear Mom's warnings. I hope the reply to my friend's text saves her a few future doozies and she can savor the smiles.

Good Morning and Happy Friday!

The Planning Committee for our Governmental Affairs Conference met yesterday to put the finishing touches on the program. It's packed with the latest on topics ranging from polling re juror attitudes to pivoting from defense to offense to fighting the mega campaigns. Registration is open and the confirmation contains a link to make hotel reservations at The Fontaine. The program will begin with registration at 9:45am on Saturday, Nov 8 -- coffee will be served. For those arriving Friday evening, we will most likely gather in the hotel's rooftop bar before scattering for dinner at the several nearby restaurants. (There won't be an organized event during the day.)  The Social Event is in the works, so be sure to get your tickets as part of registering!

Dues renewal notices are staggered based on how your dues are set up. Those set to "auto renew" will process on Monday. A few TLAs have members on "auto", so those TLAs with "firm billing" will receive notices on Tuesday. Otherwise, you should have received a dues notice. It's never too late to switch to "auto renew" and associate a credit card. While you're logged in, let me know if there are any staff changes and confirm the number of your association's members. If you have new staff to sign up for NATLE membership, this is the perfect time to get in at the beginning of our dues year.

Stay tuned for an upcoming announcement about September's 4th Monday Zoom Series on Sept 22. We'll hear about AI trends in the legal field, mutually beneficial marketing opps for you and your vendors, and available content and resources for members.

That’s the NATLE Weekly Wrap. Have a great weekend! [...a long one if you're south of the 49th parallel.]

P.S. In case you’re still here…I love pop culture references in TV shows. The first season of Stranger Things was a gem for those who grew up in the 70s and 80s with bowl haircuts, Healthtex (lord, help me) and Garanimals brand clothing, and bell-bottoms. (The kid actors in that show are amazing, btw, but now that I know that Millie Bobby Brown is married to Jon Bon Jovi's son, it makes suspending reality to see her as a young girl a bit of a stretch.) I once tested a younger co-worker with a pop culture question, "If I said, "Who shot JR?", does that mean anything to you?" He was 25 at the time (about 10 years ago) and simply had no clue. Funny how the seemingly singular, ubiquitous events, like watching the miniseries Roots, the wedding of Charles and Diana, or my family's Friday night line-up of Hee Haw, Dukes of Hazard (ugh, I didn't know any better), and Dallas, were on everyone's minds, and brought us together. Now there are so many outlets and formats for getting news and programs that it's sometimes hard to find common interests. I long for those simpler times, though I'd skip Bo, Luke, and especially, Daisy.

Good Morning and Happy Friday!

The deadline for submitting a GAC Scholarship application is EOD Monday. Funds are available so that attending the annual Governmental Affairs Conference in November can be within reach of the smaller-budget TLA. It covers travel, accommodations, and meals up to $2,500.

Join us in Kansas City for our Governmental Affairs Conference on November 8-10. Registration is open and the confirmation contains a link to make hotel reservations at The Fontaine. Topics will include: new, post-election research with the latest data on jury biases, strategies to raise limits on liability and UM/UIM, legislative testimony from members and clients, accessing the power of social media influencers, fighting the mega campaigns, a WC update, insurance industry accountability, and more. The program will begin between 9:30am and 10am on Saturday morning -- coffee will be served. For those arriving Friday evening, we will have more information about meeting up for dinner nearby. (There won't be an organized event during the day.)

Dues renewal notices will go out on Monday. Between now and then, please log-in to update the number of your association's members and let me know if there are any staff changes. If you have new staff to sign up for NATLE membership, this is the time to get in at the beginning of our dues year.

We won't have an August 4th Monday Zoom Series session, but save the dates of Sept 22 and Oct 27. More info to come!

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

P.S. In case you’re still here…I have a few bugaboos and pet peeves, as I'm sure you do, and I wonder if there's any overlap. At the top is highway drivers who don't move over to let merging traffic in. If they're already being passed and can't move, that's a good excuse. Otherwise, it's just rude. Another is random gaps that, when filled, create a more efficient operation. As a volunteer Host on the weekends at Stowe Mountain Resort, our main purpose was to be an ambassador and tour guide for the ski and snowboard guests. Before the lifts got busy, though, we'd be in the parking lot helping visitors park in neat rows since the pavement was unlined and usually covered in snow. My specialty was finding the prime spots close to the lodge that were vacated by the locals who caught "freshies", aka "first tracks", before going to work. The joy on the faces of drivers, already harried from packing up the car with kids and equipment, in scoring a good spot was a gift in itself. I called it defragging the lot. Oh, and the word "parka". C'mon, it's a jacket!

Good Morning and Happy Friday!

"There is new, post-election research. This session alone is worth GAC registration. It will be an incredible session." I can't think of a bigger selling point than to have the latest data on jury biases in the post-election environment. Join us in Kansas City for our Governmental Affairs Conference on November 8-10. Registration is open and the confirmation contains a link to make hotel reservations at The Fontaine. Topics will include: the political climate and juror attitudes, strategies to raise limits on liability and UM/UIM, structuring legislative testimony from members and clients, harnessing social media influencers, fighting the mega campaigns, a WC update, insurance industry accountability, and more. A Scholarship is available! Apply before August 25.

The program will begin between 9:30am and 10am on Saturday morning -- coffee will be served. For those arriving Friday evening, we will have more information about meeting up for dinner nearby. (There won't be an organized event during the day.)

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

P.S. In case you’re still here…I used this space about a year ago to mention a research study I've been in that is looking at the relationship between menopause and memory. I was invited to be part of a follow up at the principal investigator's site, Vanderbilt. On the tarmac in Burlington, as I inserted the flat metal fitting into the buckle, I received an email that my flight from Dulles to Nashville would be delayed as crews fixed a window and it meant I'd be chillin' for over 8 hours. I'm encouraged that they'd take their time in making a critical repair, but I didn't like the thought of arriving so late before a day that included exercises in concentration. I love the tech that allows us to see the rebooking options and complete the task in seconds. Now I only had 4 hours to kill at Dulles.

If you've never stayed at a Moxy hotel, consider yourself lucky. That's a little harsh, but after a long day I was not expecting the check-in area to also serve as the hotel bar, as in brewskies and bourbon (or is it whiskey in TN?). To make it worse, it was open mic night and the acoustics meant I had to scream across the bar to be heard.

The study consisted of 30 minutes of various concentration modules, a break for lunch, and then the injection of radioactive dye for the PET scan that would allow them to observe activity (assuming there is any) in my brain. I laid still for the 30-minute scan in a tube that droned at a frequency that had me humming, in my head, Abracadabra by the Steve Miller Band while I desperately tried not to fall asleep.

On the walk back to the hotel, I knew I was in the south -- pine straw mulch, sweetgum trees, and cicadas that can drown out a fog horn. I grew up in a college town and there's an energy that vibrates through the shops and restaurants. Everyone was friendly and strangers smiled, though in retrospect, maybe it was my Vermont Catamounts shirt from UVM. We may not have a football team, but my Catamounts would eat Vanderbilt's Commodores for lunch. I was honored to be a small cog in the advancement of science to benefit future generations and will be the first to sign up if there are any more follow ups.

Good Morning and Happy Friday!

I'm about to hit *send* on the first blast announcing a speaker at our November 8-10 Governmental Affairs Conference in Kansas City, MO.  Registration is open and the confirmation contains a new link to make hotel arrangements at The Fontaine.  Topics will include: the political climate and juror attitudes, strategies to raise limits on liability and UM/UIM, legislative testimony from members and clients, harnessing social media influencers, fighting the mega campaigns, a WC update, insurance industry accountability and more.  A Scholarship is available!  Apply before August 25.

The GAC Planning Committee is finalizing the roster of speakers, so watch your email for a brochure next week.  The program will begin between 9:30am and 10am on Saturday morning -- coffee will be served.  For those arriving Friday evening, we will have more information about meeting up for dinner nearby.  (There won't be an organized event during the day.)

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

P.S. In case you’re still here…You know how kids talk about what they want to be when they grow up?  Is it weird that driving a Zamboni is high on my list?  It's right up there with driving a street sweeper truck.  As soon as I hear it coming up my street, still several houses away, I'm standing at the window to watch it lumber by, wire-bristle brush and vacuum doing their thing.  I'm not a clean freak, as the dust bunnies under my bed will attest, but I think I'm fascinated by the smooth, clean result.  To me, they both represent a reset button to the default mode...back to the way things should be.

Good Morning and Happy Friday!

We have received 17 evaluations for the Annual Meeting in San Francisco.  To all attendees, please let me know if you need a link to the evaluation form.  They’re anonymous through Wufoo, and your valuable input informs future programming.

A few e-blasts have announced the November 8-10 Governmental Affairs Conference in Kansas City, MO.  Registration is open and the confirmation contains a link to make hotel arrangements at The Fontaine.  (LMK if you run into any issues the hotel block.)  Topics will include: the political climate and juror attitudes, strategies to raise limits on liability and UM/UIM, legislative testimony from members and clients, harnessing social media influencers, fighting the mega campaigns, a WC update, insurance industry accountability and more.  A Scholarship is available!  Apply before August 25.

The GAC Planning Committee met this week to discuss speakers AND is considering options for a fun event on Friday, Nov 8th.  We know registrants are eager to make travel arrangements, yours truly included, so we should have details by next week.

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

P.S. In case you’re still here…It takes a special kind of human to work at the DMV.  I needed to renew my license with a new photo and that meant an in-person visit.  The soonest appointment I could make online was five weeks out in early September.  That wouldn’t work since my birthday is in August.  I pulled up my big girl pants and got up early to stand in line at 7:30 on Monday morning (they open the doors at 7:45).  I was about 25th in line, but it didn’t take too long to get up to the window, manned by one gent, to receive my number.  He announced that staffing that day was down by 10 employees, so we should be prepared to wait.  And wait we did.  Despite the uber-chipper messages plastered around the warehouse-like space, I wasn’t feeling particularly cheery.  I employed my powers of mind-bending to will the ticker screen to advance more quickly, but I guess I’m a bit rusty.  After three hours, my number was almost up, but I had to leave for an appointment.  I was gone just an hour and the DMV was close, so I stopped back in to see what number was up – I’d missed it by one.  Phoo-ee, I wasn’t going to start over with another 3-hour wait.  I arrived even earlier the next morning – second in line this time.  I walked out with my new license within 20 minutes.

Good Morning and Happy Friday!

The Annual Meeting in San Francisco was well-attended and had a nice balance of fun – epic food and venue at Epic Steak and the Wine Country Tour – education, and networking.  Many thanks to the Planning Committee for bringing it together!  To all attendees, please let me know if you need a link to the evaluation form.  The email went out Tuesday morning unfortunately disguised in the subject line as the “Winter Meeting”.  We pay attention to the input and it informs future programs., so thank you!

Save the date, November 8-10, for NATLE’s Governmental Affairs Conference in Kansas City, MO.  Registration is open and the confirmation contains a link to make hotel arrangements at The Fontaine.  Subjects include: making new friends with non-traditional coalition partners, fighting back against the mega campaigns (insurance, utilities, Uber, Bayer), and supporting your members (and their clients) as they give legislative testimony.  Please share the registration information with your TLA’s volunteer leadership so they can plan to attend and learn from the program first-hand while they network with their counterparts.  I’ve added a few rooms to our block on Monday night.  LMK if you run into any issues with reservations.

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

P.S. In case you’re still here…I like to travel, but I love to come home…to my routine, my shower, my bed, my creature comforts.  This time of year, though, it’s a bit like the show, Abandoned Malls, where the flora is no longer held in check and begins to reclaim the land.  My back patio is a weed-infested mess that only my weed-whacker and, gawd forbid, Round Up will tame.  There also comes a point every summer when I hit my quota for summertime home maintenance tasks like mowing.  Activities that are energizing at the beginning of the season end up being more of a chore by the mid-way point.  At least the robins have left the nest they built under my deck, so I can clean off the spikes I’d installed to prevent nests.  (I should submit a product review…)  I look forward to fall when the grass slows down and the gardens can be put to bed.

Good Morning from San Francisco and Happy Friday!

This week has been focused on the Annual Meeting in San Francisco, so nothing new to see here!

Save the date, November 8-10, for NATLE’s Governmental Affairs Conference in Kansas City, MO.  Registration is open and the confirmation contains a link to make hotel arrangements at The Fontaine.  Subjects include: making new friends with non-traditional coalition partners, fighting back against the mega campaigns (insurance, utilities, Uber, Bayer), and supporting your members (and their clients) as they give legislative testimony.  Please share the registration information with your TLA’s volunteer leadership so they can plan to attend and learn from the program first-hand while they network with their counterparts.  I’ve added a few rooms to our block on Monday night.  LMK if you run into any issues with reservations.

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

P.S. In case you’re still here…After getting up at 4am my time, and at the mercy of other people’s driving/flying, I opted for a taxi from the airport, rather than the more un-Vermont-y subway (BART).  I just wanted to get to the hotel.  With only one hand on the wheel at the “12 o’clock” position, where it’s impossible to maintain a straight line especially at speed, we wiggled down the highway at a mere 60mph that felt more like a buck-ten.  I hadn’t been back in the Bay Area since the early-2000s – whenever then-ATLA was here for an Annual Convention.  It’s nice to be back.

P.P.S. I love playing the part of tour guide, though my cache of fun, local trivia is less than dazzling to my visitors.  My skills were on full display when our friends at FJA were in Stowe, VT this week for their annual leadership retreat.  Thankfully, my shortcomings as a guide won’t be on the evaluation form, but I am grateful for their invitation to join them for their social events.

Good Morning and Happy Friday!

There’s a slight change to our meeting room location at the Marriott Marquis.  We’ll be in Salon 9, same Lower B2 Level.

Four seats are available for the Wine Tour Through Napa!  For $75, you’ll have a driver for the day and tastings at three different wineries.  We’ll stop for lunch at the world-famous Oxbow Public Market and get dropped off at the Moscone Convention Center in time to get our badges before registration closes.  Our TLA ED/Staff badges are required for access to the AAJ Opening Reception!

Save the date, November 8-10, for NATLE’s Governmental Affairs Conference in Kansas City, MO.  Registration is open and the confirmation contains a link to make hotel arrangements at The Fontaine.  Subjects include: making new friends with non-traditional coalition partners, fighting back against the mega campaigns (insurance, utilities, Uber, Bayer), and supporting your members (and their clients) as they give legislative testimony.  Please share the registration information with your TLA’s volunteer leadership so they can plan to attend and learn from the program first-hand while they network with their counterparts.  I’ve added a few rooms to our block on Monday night.  LMK if you run into any issues with reservations.

Next Wednesday will be a travel day and I’ll take a half-day of PTO on Thursday to take in a behind-the-scenes tour of Alcatraz.  If you don’t see me Friday morning, please call the Park Service.  I might be lost somewhere on the island!

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

P.S. In case you’re still here…I usually wait until technology has been around a few years before becoming an adopter.  My mother, on the other hand, had one of the early Neuton electric lawn mowers.  It weighed a ton, wasn’t self-propelled, and the battery didn’t survive the 1/3-acre lot before needing a recharge.  I was a gas-powered mower girl until the electric starter fizzled out.  I had been mulling the idea of making the switch for a few years, but the kick I needed was my sore shoulder from yanking the pull start.  I bought an EGO and I’m impressed.  After two mows (I had to be sure), I put my old mower on Craigslist and it was gone later the same day.

Good Morning and Happy (Almost) Friday!

Four seats have become available for the Wine Tour Through Napa!  For $75, you’ll have a driver for the day and tastings at three different wineries.  We’ll stop for lunch at the world-famous Oxbow Public Market and get dropped off at the Moscone Convention Center in time to get our badges before registration closes.  Our TLA ED/Staff badges are required for access to the AAJ Opening Reception!

If you haven’t yet registered for the NATLE Annual Meeting in San Francisco, now’s the time!  It’s only two weeks away.  The room block is in AAJ’s “bucket” and when it fills up I have no leverage to finagle a last-minute reservation.

Save the date, November 8-10, for NATLE’s Governmental Affairs Conference in Kansas City, MO.  Registration is open and the confirmation contains a link to make hotel arrangements at The Fontaine.  Subjects include: making new friends with non-traditional coalition partners, fighting back against the mega campaigns (insurance, utilities, Uber, Bayer), and supporting your members (and their clients) as they give legislative testimony.  Please share the registration information with your TLA’s volunteer leadership so they can plan to attend and learn from the program first-hand while they network with their counterparts.

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

P.S. In case you’re still here…Honestly, I’m too embarrassed to be an American these days to feel like celebrating.