Shawn Wood Published in Chicago Lawyer
“Real Trial Lawyers Don’t Back Away from the Name”

Shawn Wood’s commentary, “Real Trial Lawyers Don’t Back Away from the Name,” appears in the August 2007 issue of Chicago Lawyer. In the article, Shawn expresses his disappointment that the Association of Trial Lawyers In America has changed its name to the American Association for Justice.

Regarding the organization’s new name, Shawn writes that it “sounds like a DC comic book series. It took me months to ditch the mental image of a bunch of middle-aged lawyers in capes and tights.” He further opines that, “if the reason for the name change was to distance the group from criticism, a name like ‘the American Association for Justice’ only invites more disparagement.”

In conclusion, Shawn notes that, “The key for real Trial Lawyers today is to identify the reasons for negative impressions… to curb the excesses of those few who give the rest a bad name…. And if some folks are still convinced that ‘trial lawyer’ is a bad word, the challenge is to change minds, not names.”