Committees

Committees

2023-2024 Committees

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

President: Kari Jones Dulin, President-elect: Sam Cannon, Vice President: Jason Wesoky, Secretary: Megan Matthews, Treasurer: Nicole Quintana, Immediate Past President: Thomas Neville

CTLA Members: Alana Anzalone, Kevin Cheney, Amanda Francis Owen, Molly Greenblatt, Michael Kane, Ben Lebsack, Bradley Levin, Ed Lomena, Sommer Luther, Susan Minamizono, and Jim Puga

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

TERM EXPIRING IN 2024: Alana Anzalone, Dustin Bergman, Jacob Burg, Kevin Cheney, Anne Dieruf, Keith Fuicelli, Melissa Hailey, Marc Harden, Ben Lebsack, Robyn Levine, Alessandra Morales, Kaitlin Nares, Mari Newman, Jennifer O’Connell, Lorraine Parker, Allison Pritchard, James Puga, Nicole Quintana, Amy Rogers, Tom Tomazin, Zach Warzel, David Woodruff, Kurt Zaner

TERM EXPIRING IN 2025: William Babich, J. Kyle Bachus, Danielle Beem, Karen Blau, Nelson Boyle, Morgan Carroll, Amanda Francis Owen, Gregory Gold, K.C. Harpring, Alyssa Hill, Edward Hopkins, Edward Lomena, J.C. (Pit) Martin, Jennifer Milne, Claire Poundstone, Haley Rank, Ben Rose, Kimberly Smith, Melanie Sulkin, Julia Thompson, Stephanie Tucker, Lauren Varner, Stephen Wahlberg

Amicus Curiae Committee

Auto Litigation Committee

Contact Alyssa Davenport at CTLA

Reviews requests for amicus assistance and decides which to accept; may provide necessary research and briefs to carry out the function of CTLA involvement as amicus. View the CTLA Amicus Committee for Acceptance of Requests Guidelines.

Co-Chairs: Jessica Schlatter and Paige Singleton

Assists auto litigators in working towards solutions to common problems.

Co-Chairs: Kyle Bachus, Amanda Francis Owen and Steve Wahlberg

BLOCKBUSTER Seminar

This annual continuing legal education seminar is one of the most popular events on the CTLA calendar. This two-day program features high-profile speakers and draws more than 200 attorneys from across the state.

Co-Chairs:  Hanna Bledsoe, Jennifer O’ConnellLauren Varner and Ross Ziev

Case Assistance Committee

Develops, promotes, and maintains programs such as the listserve, the Resource Bank, and Case Assistance Roundtables.  Reviews potential membership benefits offered by vendors.  This committee oversees CTLA publications.

Co-Chairs: Sam CannonDustin Bergman Marlo GreerEd Lomena, and Melanie Stuckey 

Civil Rights Committee

Assists civil rights attorneys in working towards solutions to common problems.

Chair: Mari Newman

Commercial Practice Committee

Assists commercial litigators in working towards solutions to common problems.

Chair: James Fogg

Construction Defect Task Force Committee

Assists construction defect litigators in working toward solutions to common problems.

Chair: Mari Perczak

Convention Committee

Plans annual summer convention.

Co-Chairs: Sarah McEahern and Kurt Zaner

Diversity Committee

Ensures full and equal participation and representation in the organization’s services, activities, policies, communications, and products by members of communities that historically have been underrepresented, and to promote diversity of gender, race, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, religion, and background more generally – within the organization and its leadership positions.

Co-Chair: Megan Matthews and Alessandra Morales

EAGLE Committee

Raises money to protect consumer rights and increase public safety through lobbying and outreach efforts.

Chair: Nicole Quintana

Employment Litigation Committee

Reviews proposed employment legislation to evaluate its impact on consumer and tort issues.

Chair: Clayton Wire

Insurance/Bad Faith Committee

Assists insurance/bad faith litigators in working towards solutions to common problems.

Co-Chairs:  Jennifer Milne and Michael Rosenberg

Judiciary Committee

Finds ways to encourage members to apply for openings on Judicial Nominating Commissions or the bench. Helps evaluate judicial nominees in order to provide information to the governor.

Co-Chairs: Loren Brown, Kevin Cheney, and Azra Taslimi

Legal Staff Division

Develops membership recruitment, retention and benefits for legal staff members.

Co-Chairs: Courtney Clark, Lauren Epke and Danielle Sandoval

Mass Torts Committee

Assists mass torts litigators in working towards solutions to common problems.

Co-Chairs: Sommer Luther and Aimee Wagstaff

Medical Malpractice Committee

Designed to help medical malpractice attorneys work towards solutions to common problems.

Co-Chairs:  Molly Greenblatt and David Woodruff

Membership Committee

Develops membership retention and recruitment and examines services to be offered to the membership.

Chair: Megan Matthews

New Lawyers Division

For members in practice ten years or less. Assists new lawyers in their practices and their involvement in CTLA.

Co-Chairs: Spencer Aitken, Karen BlauCharles Mendez, Joanna Merrill, and Haley Rank

Premises Liability Committee

Assist those who take premises liability cases in working towards solutions to common problems.

Co-Chairs: William BabichLiz Hart and David Klibaner

Product Liability Committee

Assists product liability litigators in working towards solutions to common problems.

Co-Chairs: Anne Dieruf and George McLaughlin

Seminar Committee

Plans and implements CTLA’s seminar program. Recommends and recruits program chairs.

Co-Chairs: Sam CannonGreg Gold, and  Ben Lebsack

Trial Talk Magazine

CTLA’s bi-monthly magazine features articles and editorials to keep members current on the hottest legal topics and trial techniques. Consider writing an article for an upcoming issue of Trial Talk®.  Review the Submission Guidelines

Editor-in-Chief: Nicole Quintana

Trucking Litigation Committee

Assists trucking litigators in working towards solutions to common problems.

Co-Chairs: Peter Anderson and Carlo Bonavita

Women Trial Lawyers Network 

Promotes the participation of women in CTLA, aids in the advancement of women members into leadership positions and supplements the knowledge and experience of women by providing networking and educational opportunities.

Co-Chairs: Alana Anzalone, Danielle Beem, Devon Neill  and Amy Rogers

Workers' Compensation Committee

Assists workers’ compensation litigators in working towards solutions to common problems.

Co-Chairs: R. Mack Babcock and Stephanie Tucker