“Group feels new name does lawyers justice”

Can a simple name change really change perceptions of trial lawyers?

"The Association of Trial Lawyers of America [archived site] is taking ‘trial lawyers’ out of its name.

"At its convention recently, the 60-year-old association’s members voted to change the name to the American Association for Justice.

"The new name ‘reflects whose side we’re on in the fight for justice,’ spokeswoman Chris Mather said. She said there was overwhelming support for the change.

"The group has more than 56,000 members, including attorneys, professors, paralegals and students.

"The U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform, a critic of the trial lawyers’ group, called it ‘an astounding admission of the unpopularity of trial lawyers in America.’"