User:Marble30/draft article on IADC

About the International Association of Defense Counsel

The International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC) is an elite international organization of around 2,500 peer-reviewed in-house counsel, insurance executives, and outside counsel representing business entities across the world. IADC membership is by invitation only, and lawyers must be nominated and go through a peer-review process to be accepted. The core purpose of the IADC is to enhance the development of skills, professionalism and camaraderie to serve and benefit the members, their clients, as well as the civil justice system, the legal profession and society in general. The IADC’s membership is comprised of leading members of the trial bar and in-house counsel and insurance executives from large, mid-size and small companies. IADC members hail from small firms, litigation boutiques, regional powerhouses, and national and international giants from every American state and around 35 countries on five continents.

Most international centers of banking, industry and commerce, including London, Frankfort, Milan, Paris, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Seoul, Sydney, Mexico City, Buenos Aires, Sao Paulo and Bermuda, have resident members. Distinguished insurance executives and legal counselors to business join the IADC to promote the interests of their clients, their employers, and the profession.

The IADC seeks a membership that reflects the diversity of the profession and the world in which its members live and practice. The IADC actively promotes an environment of inclusion in which varied backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences are shared and valued.

The IADC sponsors continuing education offerings throughout the year including meetings in a variety of locations as well as Webinars. Its meetings include the Midyear and Annual Meetings, Corporate Counsel College, International Corporate Counsel College, Professional Liability Roundtable, and Trial Academy. It also has regional gatherings in North America, Europe and Asia.

The heart of the Association is its more than three dozen committees, through which members network, develop advanced skills, and advance the objectives of the defense bar and business community. Substantive law committees are open to all members. The Committees produce newsletters, articles for the IADC's academic publication, the Defense Counsel Journal, and continuing legal education opportunities.

The IADC also offers its voice to the dialogue on legislative and judicial issues. In addition to being the founding member of Lawyers for Civil Justice, IADC members also write amicus briefs when appropriate.

History of the Association

The Association was created in 1920 by a group of general counsels, calling themselves the General Counsels’ Association of the United States. Its purpose was to foster good will and cooperation among general counsel who shared common interests and challenges. In 1928, the members invited leading lawyers to join, seeking to gain broader insight into the various legal issues affecting the insurance industry. The Association changed its name to the International Association of Insurance Counsel (IAIC) to reflect the new membership and focus.

Membership expanded greatly during the 1930s, with lawyers and executives coming from both the United States and Canada. By World War II, there were 2,000 members, each of whom was invited to join the Association through an in-depth committee review process. It was the committee structure of the Association at that time, eventually diversifying into specific areas of substantive law, professional development, and administration, which would become the foundation for the innovative work and activity of the Association.

In the post-war years, a rapid growth in the number, complexity, and geographic scope of civil lawsuits made the IAIC a premier training ground for lawyers internationally. This commitment would become a mainstay for professional development and legal reform for the Association. At the same time, the quality of membership rose as a result of higher criteria for peer reviewing of prospective members.

The Association also began to expand its international membership, recognizing the globalization of business and the law. The Association continues today to adjust and adapt to the needs of the members in an expanding international marketplace.

In 1960, it created the Defense Research Institute (DRI) to provide broad-based support and education for the defense bar. The IADC later founded Lawyers for Civil Justice (LCJ) to address rapidly accelerating litigation costs, runaway jury verdicts and routine awards of punitive damages. By the mid-1970s, with many corporations now self-insuring, the membership began representing more and more corporations directly. In 1985, to mirror this change in focus, the Association changed its name to the International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC).

IADC members elect a Board of Directors to lead the Association. Board members are elected to three-year terms. The President is elected first to a year as President-Elect, then serves a year as President, then finishes the term on the Board with a year as Immediate Past President. The Board reflects the diversity and mission of the Association with permanent Vice President positions representing corporate, insurance and international members. The IADC had a corporate counsel president in 2008-2009 and will have the Association's first non-U.S. president in 2010.

The Foundation of the IADC

The Foundation of the IADC seeks to have a significant impact on the civil justice system. It works to serve as a platform for educating the public and the legal community on current litigation issues and supporting the integrity of the legal system throughout the world. With the support of individual member, law firm, and corporate donations, The Foundation of the IADC develops and supports new projects and initiatives to advance the legal system. It most recently has provided financial and volunteer support to the iCivics program. Spearheaded by the Honorable Sandra Day O’Connor, iCivics is a web-based education project designed to reinvigorate civics teaching and learning. iCivics features free lesson plans, interactive modules, and games. With these tools, iCivics will help empower the first generation of ‘digital natives’ to become knowledgeable civic participants and leaders. The Foundation is working with the assistance of IADC members to promote iCivics and bring it into classrooms across the United States.