The Relationship Between the Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys and the Kansas City Bar Association
The Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys is a not for profit membership organization that provides the resources needed to build and develop the career of trial attorneys in Missouri. AAJ provides the members with an outstanding program of workshops, seminars and continuing education opportunities. They offer a “Lounge Room” where members meet in private to discuss issues and share ideas. This is where networking and referrals for cases happen.
A major focus of the Missouri association of trial attorneys and its local Offices is on the area of trials and the litigation process.
The Lounge Room provides a “cesspool” of potential candidates for our member attorneys. Cases range from personal injury cases to mesothelioma cases. No specialties are required. Just experience and the ability to win!
There are five Divisions within the Association including: Education and Legal Counseling, General Practitioners, Continuing Legal Education, Legal Writing and Certification, and Legal Research and Education.
Education and Legal Counseling encompass the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to be an effective lawyer in the state of Missouri. Part of continuing legal education includes internship training and other hands on learning experiences. General Practitioners educates the members on a variety of laws, principles, management techniques, and litigation procedures applicable to the areas of personal injury and malpractice.
The third division is focused on Continuing Legal Education (CE) and current case law trends.
The conferences and seminars that are conducted by the Missouri association of trial attorneys help attorneys stay up to date on the most important issues of the day. In the civil justice system, CE helps attorneys learn how to develop effective strategies to ensure that they are successful in their cases. The third area is related to technology. Learning about the latest technologies and advances in scientific research can help trial attorneys make better decisions in their cases.
The fourth area of study for the association of trial attorneys focuses on the emerging role of technology in the practice of injury litigation.
This includes using the Internet to conduct research on possible plaintiffs and their representatives. Trial attorneys will also learn how to obtain discovery, file pleadings, establish a case, and schedule depositions. They will also be familiar with evidentiary rules of evidence and the admissible evidence rule. The fifth area of study for the association of trial attorneys of the state of Missouri is based on the issue of malpractice insurance.
One of the challenges that attorneys face today is filing lawsuits when there may be possibly hundreds of thousands of dollars of cases pending against corporations or government agencies.
One reason that attorneys cannot bring large personal injury lawsuits is the cost of hiring a lawyer. The courts are becoming more unwilling to award large awards because of the inherent difficulty of proving liability in such lawsuits. In addition, the civil justice system itself has changed dramatically in the past decade. There are more complex issues in civil cases now than ever before.
Another way that the state of Missouri and the Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys can work together is through legal education seminars.
Attorneys attend these seminars in order to improve their knowledge of the law. Legal education seminars can also help lawyers stay up to date on important legal topics. Many of these seminars center around important legal issues facing not only the attorney but the client as well.
For example, many personal injury cases involve catastrophic injuries or medical malpractice.
One of the most difficult areas of litigation today is medical malpractice litigation. It is no longer enough for a doctor to merely treat a wound; now the doctor has to prove negligence. This is where the expertise of a team of trained attorneys becomes essential. Working with a professional team that is skilled in personal injury litigation can make a huge difference in the ultimate outcome of a case.
