[Page 174]Association of Trial Lawyers of America (ATLA)

The American Association of Justice (AAJ), formerly known as the Association of Trial Lawyers of America (ATLA), is a broad-based, international organization of attorneys, judges, law professors, paralegals, and law students. The mission of the AAJ is to promote a fair, effective system of justice and to “support the work of attorneys in their efforts to ensure that any person who is injured by the misconduct or negligence of others can obtain justice in America’s courtrooms, even when taking on the most powerful interests.”

Started in 1946 by a group of plaintiffs’ attorneys involved in workers’ compensation litigation, the then named National Association of Claimants’ Compensation Attorneys (NACCA) was founded to protect the rights of victims of industrial accidents. Shortly thereafter, the NACCA attracted personal injury, ...