AAJ Winter Convention: A first-timer’s experience

Posted on Milestone Blog February 18, 2020

By Samuel Dolce-Powers, Esq.

Wow. What a weekend.

While still coming back down to Earth from what was an amazing trip to New Orleans, I wanted to focus on some highlights from the perspective of a first-time American Association for Justice (AAJ) Convention attendee. My top realizations were how deep connections can be made in such a short amount of time, how incredible a trip it can become once you find a few people you click with, and how the heart and soul of AAJ truly lives with the Trial Lawyers Care Service Project. All in all, AAJ Winter Convention was an immersive educational experience and a ton of fun.

Upon first arriving at AAJ Winter Convention, it felt a bit like being a new camper at summer camp. Everyone had their friends from the previous summer (conferences), and they were so excited to see one another. As a first time attendee, I was not yet a part of this group, and at first this was alarming. Yet quickly I realized that all these individuals had formed these friendships over the course of other conferences. And surely there were other attorneys present who were feeling the same way as I was. There was a potential that by next summer, I too could be a “returning camper.”

The feeling of alarm was almost immediately replaced by the warm acceptance from many other first-time attorneys who were also experiencing their first conference. In no time at all, I felt a part of a group, finding myself on Bourbon Street and enjoying a cold one on the patio of Patty O’Brien’s while discussing the intricacies of civil procedure and jury techniques in different jurisdictions. That very first afternoon led to friendships that lasted the remainder of the conference, and I expect to extend far into both my professional and personal future. This was a pattern that continued with multiple groups of attorneys throughout the weekend. I now feel as if I know and share a bond with a friendly attorney in every state!

This kinship was shared nowhere stronger than with the participants of the Trial Lawyers Care Service Project at the start of Convention. A few dozen attorneys from several different caucuses met up a day early to help the Covenant House with a wide range of services. By dedicating gifts, financial support, and a day of our lives to such a noble cause, the service project demonstrated what AAJ is all about: attorneys serving the communities in which they are a part, in a broader pursuit of justice. I was honored to take part, and I would encourage all other first-time attendees to join the other volunteer attorneys who jumped right in.

I loved the AAJ Winter Convention, and will certainly attend the next AAJ Convention this summer in Washington, D.C. The Convention in its entirety is full of info sessions, networking opportunities, and collaboration among national plaintiff lawyers. To anyone who plans to attend Washington, D.C. this summer, I would encourage you to form those deep connections, find your group, and take part in the service project. It may be the best trip you take all year.