Vested Interest - March 2010 Issue

The President's Thoughts

Supporting Our Sponsors

On the last page of this issue you’ll see a list of businesses and services. These are members of Professionals & Businesses for Justice, or more simply put, our sponsors. We owe them a big “Thank You” for their generous support, but we also owe them something else – a phone call.
A little background first…

ITLA created The Professionals & Businesses for Justice program to give complementary businesses the opportunity to market their services to ITLA members. There are three levels of sponsorship, starting with Sponsors, then Benefactors, and finally the highest, Legacy. Each level requires a higher financial commitment, but increases the benefits received.

Regardless of the level, without these sponsors we’d be unable to offer certain programs, and our overall efforts would suffer. Their dollars help our voices be heard.
The types of businesses and services currently in PB&J are those many of us use throughout the year, such as court reporters, videographers, and structured settlement services.

Which brings me back to the phone call.
The financial support we receive from PB&J members is vital to our mission: preserving and protecting Illinois’ civil justice system. They have responded to our call for assistance, now we need to pick up the phone and return the favor. In short, the PB&J list you see should be your “go-to” list when shopping for vendors.

Before you schedule a deposition, for instance, check the list. You’ll see several outstanding firms, and from my perspective, these are the companies to choose from. As the saying goes, “Dance with the one that brung you.” If we don’t support our PB&J members, why should they remain sponsors?

Obviously, there are many fine businesses that provide services to ITLA members that do not belong to PB&J – yet. We will be contacting all such firms in the near future to show them the benefits of membership.

In the meantime, if you’re using a service that is not a PB&J member I’d like to ask a few favors. First of all, let me know who they are so we can get in touch with them. If you use them, other ITLA members might like to know about them.

Second, tell me what it is about their service you like; why did you choose them over every other similar business?

And finally, if you recommend a non-PB&J business that becomes a sponsor, we’ll give you a certificate to attend an ITLA seminar for free.

In a very real sense, supporting our current PB&J members and adding more businesses to the group is the simplest way all of us can financially support ITLA. Using a PB&J member over a non-member is an easy choice, and one that has tremendous benefits for all of us.

So go ahead and pick up the phone.

Peter J. Flowers, President
Illinois Trial Lawyers Association