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As a solo practitioner for about the last six years running a defense law practice dedicated to civil litigation and medical malpractice, I know the demands of litigation and the accompanying isolation a busy defense practice can bring. To assist my clients and me, I have been a member of DRI, the largest bar association for civil defense attorneys and in-house counsel for more than 20 years. On the Indiana level, I have also had the opportunity to be heavily involved in Defense Trial Counsel of Indiana, where I have served as a section chair, board director and officer, including the role of president.
As a past president of DTCI, as well as your outgoing Indiana state representative for DRI, I encourage you all to take advantage of membership in these civil defense bar organizations. I have utilized DRI and DTCI resources in my defense practice, and serving in leadership roles in both over the years has made me realize how important these organizations are for the civil defense practitioner. The benefits of membership that I have used include applying discovery, trial techniques and strategies to current cases, sharing and exchanging research on expert witnesses, attending educational seminars for substantive law updates and taking advantage of the plentiful networking opportunities. Both organizations offer many benefits to their members, and the two complement each other well.
DRI is the largest membership organization of attorneys defending the interests of individuals and business in civil litigation, nationally and internationally. DRI provides its members access to the tools and resources to not only assist in providing high-quality representation to clients but also to grow and expand your professional network. DTCI is our Indiana defense bar association serving to assist and support its members in the substantive and management aspects of their law practices. If you are practicing law primarily in the defense of civil litigation, you need to be a member of at least one of these professional bar organizations, and preferably both.
Recently, fellow DTCI officers Norris Cunningham, Lauren Dimmitt, Marian Drenth, Scott Cockrum and I, along with DTCI Executive Director Lisa Mortier, had the pleasure of attending the DRI Central and North Central Regional Meeting in San Antonio. The programming was led by North Central Regional Director William K. McVisk and DRI Second Vice President Ricardo A. Woods. The two-day program provided attendees the opportunity to network with our colleagues from Illinois, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin, West Virgina and North and South Dakota. In addition, substantive programming included sessions on artificial intelligence, motivating and engaging young lawyers in professional organizations, and innovative ideas for membership growth.
Indiana defense lawyers continue to be active in DRI with Indiana’s own R. Jeffrey Lowe as current DRI president, J. Richard Moore a current national director, as well as past National Director A. Barclay Wong and former DRI North Central Regional Director James Hehner (also a DTCI past president). If you are currently a DRI member or DTCI member, thank you and please renew! If you are not currently a member of either, I encourage you to learn more about the benefits of membership and join.
DTCI provides its members a network of Indiana licensed attorneys who defend clients in civil litigation. The membership of DTCI comprises defense lawyers who practice in all areas of litigation, and it has sections within the membership for insurance law, construction, business litigation, worker’s compensation, product liability, health care and employment law. Members are active in several of DTCI’s committees, such as amicus, women in the law and young lawyers. A young lawyer seminar was recently held in Indianapolis on April 22, with topics such as “Leadership Lessons to Improve Your Practice,” “Preparing the Corporate 30(B)(6) Witness,” “Strategic Use of Mock Trials & Focus Groups” and “Confronting Reptile Theory and Social Inflation in 2026.”
DRI has more than 30 substantive law committees and specialized litigation groups focusing on specific practice areas in civil litigation for the defense. Members also have access to an expert witness database that contains more than 65,000 expert witnesses. In addition to speaking and writing opportunities within the substantive law sections, DRI produces seminars, conferences and webcasts for civil defense litigators.
Upcoming DRI seminars include the Drug and Medical Device Seminar to be held in Boston on May 20-22, along with the Employment and Labor Law Seminar. Opportunities for seminar attendance closer to Indiana exist on June 3-5 in Louisville with the Diversity for Success Seminar, The Insurance Bad Faith and Extra-Contractual Liability Seminar and the Young Lawyers Seminar.
For those planning to make the trip to Louisville, these seminars will not disappoint. In addition to the substantive law programming, a networking reception will be held at the Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory, along with an optional bourbon tasting. On Thursday, June 4, the Churchill Downs Night Racing Extravaganza is planned for attendees.
Additional DRI seminars in 2026 include the following: Senior Living and Long-Term Care Litigation (San Antonio, Sept. 16-18); Strictly Automotive (San Antonio, Sept. 16-18); DRI Annual Meeting (Washington, D.C., Oct. 21-23); Asbestos Medicine (Nov. 18-20, Nashville, Tennessee); Insurance Coverage and Practice Symposium (Dec. 2-4, New York City); and Professional Liability (Dec. 2-4, New York City).
The DRI Foundation is the philanthropic arm of the organization and supports DRI members, member communities and cities where DRI holds its events. DRI Cares and DRI for Life are parts of the DRI Foundation. In 2025, the DRI Foundation concluded a two-year partnership with Blessings in a Backpack, providing nearly 50,000 meals to kids in need. It has also partnered with the Institute for Well-Being in Law for programming and membership discounts to provide resources on
lawyer wellness.
DRI also has its own center for law and public policy — named The Center — serving as the voice of the civil defense bar. The Center is another resource for members, and it provides thought leadership and influences policy at both the state and federal level. The Center has an Amicus Committee, a Legislation & Rules Committee, a Public Policy Committee and an Advisory Council. DTCI board member John Stringfield currently serves on the State Legislation and Rules Task Force within
The Center.
With DRI’s upcoming seminars in Louisville in June, its annual meeting in Washington, D.C., in October and DTCI’s annual meeting to be held in November, now is a great time to join these organizations, particularly with the recent launch of DRI’s May Membership Month initiative providing new members with a discount to a future DRI seminar. You can visit dri.org and dtci.org for additional information.•
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Pinkie is a partner in Amundsen Davis LLC.
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