December 16, 2019

President’s Address:

First of all, let me wish all of you happy holidays! I write you from New York City which is as decked out as I imagine any place in the world.

The tree is lit, and the store windows are decorated and beautifully alluring. It is truly a magical time of year to be in New York, save the traffic.

They say that patience is a virtue, and I say there must be a lot of very virtuous people in New York this time of year. When calling for an Uber, or a cab, we quickly learned that the drive time through Manhattan was often much, much, longer than the walking time. When it wasn’t raining, or snowing, we walked.  Given all the meals we have enjoyed, it was probably for the best.

As 2019 comes to an end, I am proud to look back on an excellent year with ABPLA.  We are on track to welcome between 8 to 10 new board-certified members, and while that is just shy of the 12 new members our Membership Committee aspired to, it nonetheless reflects ongoing growth to the organization.

The ABPLA website, which lists all of our board-certified lawyers, both legal and medical, is now number one throughout the country when one searches “medical malpractice attorneys”.

Our Conference Planning Committee has been hard at work planning our Conference for next year.  On the “you spoke and we listened category” please calendar October 15-17, 2020, and join us in Scottsdale, Arizona for next year’s Conference. Reeve is in the process of finalizing our resort reservations, so plan to bring your golf clubs, tennis rackets, hiking shoes, and swimsuits.

The medical negligence portion of the Conference will place heavy emphasis on the medical sciences. While speakers are currently being lined up, expect to hear from physicians as well as lawyers. On the legal malpractice side, expect cutting edge information regarding professional negligence cases with emphasis on the ethical practice of law.  It will truly be a conference you will want to attend.

Both Reeve and I worked extensively with ABPLA‘s “sister certifying organizations“, and with the ABA.  While we faced some challenges with the ABA this year, I am happy to report that our relationship with the ABA is promising, though somewhat dynamic. Our next meeting with the ABA will take place in February, 2020. I will certainly have more to report at that time.

The month of December started with a bang for the Scarlett family. I am happy to announce that my son, Randy, passed the California Bar Exam, and was sworn in by his grandfather - Judge Claude Perasso. I couldn’t be prouder, and look forward to practicing law with him.

In closing, I want you all to know how proud I am of the ABPLA, and each of you, our Board Certified lawyers. What you have done in taking that extra step to become board-certified is a value add to each of your clients. So with these thoughts in mind, let me wish each of you happy holidays and a wonderful New Year