What do you call a bunch of lawyers?

Who cares?

The American Association for Justice (AAJ) was reported to have filed a lawsuit against The American Trial Lawyers Association (TheATLA) on 15 November 2007 in the US District Court (Minnesota) (Case No. 0:2007cv04626).

The AAJ was formerly the Association of Trial Lawyers of America (ATLA). It had wanted to called itself “American Trial Lawyers Association” (it is good time to bring out a note book and write them down now!) but finally settled for “Association of Trial Lawyers of America” when objection was raised by the “American College of Trial Lawyers” (ACTA). The AAJ then decided to change its name in 2006 adopting the more relevant reference to “justice”.

Then another association came along, added “The” and called itself “”The American Trial Lawyers Association” (TheATLA). TheATLA's website explains that membership of TheATLA “is obtained through special invitation and is extended only to those attorneys who exemplify superior qualifications, leadership, reputation, influence, stature, and profile in the trial lawyer legal community”. In other words, not to be messed with easily.

At the same time, a lawsuit (Case No. 1:2007cv01024) was filed on 20 November 2007 in the Alabama by TheATLA against ACTA, apparently in relation to the use of the name.

December 2007