Message from the Chairs

Welcome to the Pretrial Practice & Discovery Committee Website.

The past several years have witnessed a rapid succession of extremely significant changes to the landscape of civil procedure, with still more looming on the horizon, including several new proposed amendments to Federal Civil Rules of Procedure under consideration at this very moment. As the rules of practice – and their attendant judicial interpretations – continue to evolve, our appetite for timely information and informed commentary is growing at an equal pace.

The Pretrial Practice & Discovery Committee website, drawing upon the talent and experience of a nation-wide network of civil trial attorneys, provides a wealth of timely information and resources – including informative reports on new rulemaking developments, insightful articles, case notes canvassing recent decisions from across the country, and invaluable forms and practice aids – all laid out in a single, neatly organized site.

And there’s more. Complimenting the Pretrial Practice & Discovery Committee website is the PP&D Newsletter. Sent quarterly to every Committee member, the Newsletter provides in-depth analysis and commentary on hot topics identified by the chairpersons of our various Subcommittees, including such dynamic subjects as privilege, e-discovery, Federal Rules revisions, ADR, depositions, experts, and much, much more.

One of the largest committees within the American Bar Association’s Section of Litigation, the Pretrial Practice & Discovery Committee is blessed with an active and dynamic roster of dedicated subcommittee chairs who volunteer time away from their families and practices not only to ensure robust content for both the Committee website and Newsletter, but more broadly to help influence and direct the maelstrom of procedural and discovery-related innovations that continue to be developed to help improve our country’s civil justice system. It is a mission that these dedicated individuals take extremely seriously.And having just returned from the ABA Annual Meeting in New York, we have seen first hand how our active members and subcommittee chairs are making a real difference both within the ABA and in judicial systems around the country.

Elsewhere, we have a proud legacy of exciting programs and seminars sponsored and presented by Pretrial Practice & Discovery Committee members at national programs hosted by the ABA from New York to Hawaii over the past several years, and are already working to develop more for the upcoming year. More personally, the Pretrial Practice & Discovery Committee has been a wonderful incubator for valued friendships reaching across the country, and even around the globe – a tradition we look forward to continuing with new friends as the Committee continues to grow.

To that end, we welcome you again to the Pretrial Practice & Discovery Committee website, and encourage you to take a few moments to explore the site and learn more about the many resources and opportunities available to you through the Pretrial Practice and Discovery Committee. Remember, as a member of the ABA Section of Litigation, you may join up to three committees at no additional cost. So look on and see for yourself why we are convinced that the Pretrial Practice & Discovery Committee ought to be on every Section member’s list.

Erica Calderas
Kent A. Lambert
Craig Martin

Co-Chairs, Pretrial Practice & Discovery Committee