I had been a member of the ABA since 1995 and had not found a Section to be actively involved. In only three years I find myself serving as a Vice-Chair of the Staff Counsel Committee and as an editor on the Brief editorial board. I have found that if you would like to be involved with a committee, or even become a leader in TIPS, if you express an interest, someone will make it happen. The friendships that you develop with trial attorneys across the country are also an added bonus.
~Vanessa Peterson Williams
Staff Counsel
Michigan Basic Property Insurance Association
Detroit, Michigan
TIPS Committees
Join 3 for Free
At the heart of the Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Section (TIPS) you’ll find 34 committees which focus on substantive and procedural matters in specific areas of practice and provide you with a plethora of opportunities to interact with, write for and learn from your peers.
With over 34 substantive committees, there's plenty to choose from. You may join three for free – just for being a TIPS member. Enjoy the benefits of membership--free periodic newsletters on national and state issues, mailings to special CLE programs, publications and more. Join a committee (or several) to learn about new developments, acquire new practice methods and meet others who share your professional interests. For enrollment in a committee, click here.
- ADMIRALTY AND MARITIME LAW COMMITTEE Covers daily issues in the practice of admiralty and maritime tort liability
- ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION COMMITTEE Examines policy questions and the practical implications of the uses of arbitration, mediation, negotiation and other non-litigation processes.
- ANIMAL LAW Examines animal-related issues and the current state of the law, including: the legality of estate planning for companion animals; changing liability standards and insurance coverage in dog bite cases; compensation beyond fair market value when an animal is killed; and the competing interest of wild animals and urban, farming and recreational land use.
- APPELLATE ADVOCACY COMMITTEE Appellate judges and lawyers come together for discussion on a wide variety of substantive and procedural issues.
- AUTOMOBILE LAW COMMITTEE Covers a wide range of issues arising out of automobile tort liability and insurance Coverage disputes. Its activities cover such areas as: automotive product liability litigation, general liability, insurance issues related to automobile insurance coverage, and legislative proposals concerning automobile tort reform and insurance.
- AVIATION AND SPACE LAW COMMITTEE Addresses all issues relating to aviation law including liabilities and obligations arising out of the manufacture, ownership, maintenance and use of aircraft; aviation accident litigation; coverage afforded by aviation insurance policies; and legal issues arising from the growing commercialization of space.
- BUSINESS LITIGATION COMMITTEE Provides a forum for discussion and evaluation of issues relating to business torts
- COMMERCIAL TRANSPORTATION LITIGATION COMMITTEE Examines the liabilities and obligations of all forms of commercial carriers and includes regulation and accident issues. The Committee provides an opportunity to meet and exchange ideas and tactics with other professionals regularly working in the transportation industry.
- CORPORATE COUNSEL COMMITTEE Insurance in-house counsel, corporate in-house counsel and outside counsel explore various legal, ethical and practical issues raised in the practice of corporate law.
- ECONOMICS OF TORT AND INSURANCE LAW PRACTICE COMMITTEE Focuses on all financial aspects of practicing law: office and practice procedures; income and expenditures; modern technology and equipment; non legal personnel; and the pressures of economic change.
- E-COMMERCE The Committee covers a wide variety of interests with two principal areas, insurance coverage for e-commerce risks and the regulation of e-commerce.
- EMPLOYEE BENEFITS COMMITTEE The Employee Benefits Committee concentrates on the developments in the constantly evolving practice area of employee benefits, with particular emphasis on litigation and regulatory compliance issues.
- EMPLOYMENT LAW & LITIGATION COMMITTEE The Employment Law & Litigation Committee encompasses all aspects of employment relationships, including recent developments and causes of action as well as litigating and investigating employment law torts.
- EXCESS, SURPLUS LINES AND REINSURANCE (ESLR) If you practice in the areas of excess insurance, the non-admitted market, or reinsurance, this is "the" Committee to join. No other organization inside or outside the ABA provides its members with the programs, publications, contacts, and information needed to stay on top of the industry like ESLR.
- FIDELITY & SURETY LAW COMMITTEE The committee focuses on the law of suretyship, fidelity, and forgery insurance.
- GOVERNMENTAL LIABILITY COMMITTEE Examines the practice of tort liability of federal, state, local and foreign governments as well as their elected and appointed officials, employees and volunteers. Also evaluates the law and practice of insuring or financing the risk of that liability.
- HEALTH AND DISABILITY INSURANCE LAW COMMITTEE Concentrates on matters relating to health, disability, long-term care, accident, medical and hospital expense insurance contracts. Examines the laws and the regulation of laws governing the health and disability areas, including state insurance laws; ERISA; ADA and COBRA; and the interplay between state and federal law.
- INSURANCE COVERAGE LITIGATION COMMITTEE Provides a hands-on approach to insurance litigation, exploring both the tactical and procedural aspects.
- INSURANCE REGULATION COMMITTEE Issues addressed within the committee include regulation of both life and health, and property and casualty insurance entities at the state level, subject to Congressional oversight, for purposes of promoting the soundness and solvency of insurers. Protecting consumers, promoting the availability and affordability of essential insurance and assuring fair insurance trade practices are also examined.
- INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LAW COMMITTEE The Committee is made up of attorneys-plaintiffs, defense, insurance and corporate counsel-who practice in the area of intellectual property. The Committee focuses on such topics as tort and insurance claims, managing intellectual property risk, and insurance capitalization for intellectual property risks.
- INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE The International Committee provides comprehensive coverage of transnational tort litigation and insurance law issues. Addresses recent developments as well as international aspects of U.S., conventional and foreign law.
- LIFE INSURANCE LAW COMMITTEE Focused on the existing and changing relationships among insureds, annuitants, contract owners, beneficiaries, agents, brokers and life insurance companies. This committee examines the contracts and laws affecting those relationships as well as the external developments that impact them and employment retirement plans.
- MEDIA, PRIVACY, AND DEFAMATION LAW COMMITTEE Concentrates on the law of defamation and insurance coverage for it, including libel, slander and invasion of privacy. Addresses questions involving access of the media and the public to public documents, trials and other types of public hearings.
- MEDICINE AND LAW COMMITTEE Provides a forum for attorneys and health care professionals to learn and exchange ideas relating to the laws governing health care, including: litigation and risk management; federal and state legislation updates; fraud and abuse; insurance; long-term care; managed care; on-line health care, telemedicine, and other related areas.
- PRODUCTS, GENERAL LIABILITY AND CONSUMER LAW COMMITTEE Addresses all issues relating to litigation developments and regulatory matters of interest to lawyers that are practitioners in products, general liability, and consumer law fields.
- PROFESSIONALS', OFFICERS' AND DIRECTORS' LIABILITY COMMITTEE Focuses on laws governing the duties, responsibilities and liability of professionals including: directors and officers, attorneys, bankers, accountants and insurance and securities brokers. This committee also addresses insurance coverage designed to protect such professionals.
- PROPERTY INSURANCE LAW COMMITTEE Focuses on vital legal and practical issues facing the insurance industry and the insurance consumer in the area of first-party property insurance.
- SELF-INSURERS AND RISK MANAGERS COMMITTEE Examines matters relating to the law and risk management governing self-insurance, including traditional insurance and alternatives to traditional insuring mechanisms, tort and contractual liability, and the relationship between risk managers and outside counsel. Addresses issues of particular interest to in-house litigation attorneys and insurance company representatives.
- SOLO AND SMALL FIRM COMMITTEE Provides a forum for the concerns of Tort Trial and Insurance lawyers who operate in solo practices or firms with ten or fewer members. The Committee provides support for the legal practices of its members by providing programs, publications and networking opportunities relating to both substantive and operational issues.
- STAFF COUNSEL Addresses the concerns of attorneys practicing as staff counsel, but open to all TIPS members including representatives from panel counsel, the plaintiff’s bar and those concerned with regulatory aspects of the insurance business.
- TITLE INSURANCE LITIGATION COMMITTEE Covers all matters relating to the law of title insurance, both legislative and judicial. Examines contractual and extra-contractual disputes between and among insured, insurers, third parties, and governmental or quasi-governmental bodies.
- TOXIC TORTS AND ENVIRONMENTAL LAW COMMITTEE Addresses all issues relating to litigation and regulation involving toxic tort, hazardous waste, chemical and pharmaceutical exposure. Also studies environmental liability matters; compliance with environmental laws; and insurance coverage relating to these issues
- TRIAL TECHNIQUES COMMITTEE Examines all aspects of trial techniques at all stages of litigation. Enables members to better develop litigation skills for use in representing plaintiffs and defendants.
- WORKERS' COMPENSATION AND EMPLOYERS' LIABILITY LAW COMMITTEE Focuses on the interpretation and construction of state workers' compensation law and monitors national trends in the field.