Brian Frye is a man on a mission. Or rather, a lawyer on a mission. One could even get more specific and say he’s a litigator on a mission. Frye is the president of the Chattanooga Trial Lawyers Association, an organization that has existed for about four decades, if his estimation is correct.
And he’d like to see more attorneys in Chattanooga take advantage of its benefits. From networking, to earning CLE credits, to keeping up with changes in the law, the local trial lawyers association has a lot to offer, Frye says. “You can earn 13 of your annual CLE credits, including all of your dual credits, by attending our meetings.” Meetings take place the third Tuesday of each month at The Epicurean Restaurant on Ringgold Road. Members gather together at 5:30 p.m. for drinks and socializing, and then the meeting proper begins at 6 p.m. and lasts until 7 or 7:30 p.m., depending on how much the guest speaker has to cover. Frye says the meeting place is ideal because the restaurant allows the association to bring its own alcohol. The only exception to the meeting schedule is the December soirée, which the association sets aside for a meet-and-greet with state legislators and a holiday party.
The 2011 version took place earlier this month. Frye says the social portion of the meetings allows member attorneys to not only get to know each other but also to glean information that can help their practice. Lawyers at the meetings have been known to share pleadings, offer advice on which experts to hire for a trial, and more. In addition, the association goes to great lengths to present a variety of speakers and relevant topics. “This year, we covered medical malpractice, standards of care and courtroom visuals. We also had Gerald McCormick, state house majority leader, come and talk about legislative issues that will affect lawyers, such as tort reform.”
The association also occasionally invites judges to participate in its functions in order to provide a venue for the people who occupy either side of the bench to get to know each other. Chancellor Jeff Atherton spoke with the association following his election in August 2010. “The lawyers at that meeting appreciated him being there because they were able to talk with him and learn his perspective on certain issues,” Frye says.
In another coup, the association roped attorney James Vick, deputy chief disciplinary counsel for the Tennessee Board of Professional Responsibility, into coming down from Nashville to discuss rule changes. Also, Judge John McClarty of the Tennessee Court of Appeals, Eastern Section, spoke on ethics at the dual credit meeting in October.
Despite the wealth of information and social connections a lawyer can establish at the association’s meetings, the group currently has only 15 to 20 dues-paying members. Frye says this means hundreds of potential members are not taking advantage of the opportunities the association offers. “I’m trying to get the word out about our programs and the other things we do,” he says. Dues are based on how long a member has been a practicing attorney. First-year lawyers do not have to pay dues, while attorneys who are in their second year of practice must pay $50. The association asks lawyers who have been practicing for three or more years to pay $100 annually to be a member.
Compared to the cost of earning 13 CLE credits through other means, the savings is substantial, Frye says. Whether an attorney wants to join the association for the camaraderie, the CLE credits, or an excuse to have drinks at 5:30 p.m. on the third Tuesday of every month, Frye just wants them to join.
“When I was a new attorney, going to the meetings is how I got to know people,” Frye says. The next meeting of the Chattanooga Trial Lawyers Association is scheduled to take place on January 17. For more information, email Frye at bfrye@laet.org or call him at 423-402-4760.