DRI

DRI DRI is the national organization of nearly 16,000+ defense trial lawyers and corporate counsel.

Members of the DRI Community gathered Wednesday night in Washington, D.C. for the latest DRI Executive Update! Attendee...
09/25/2026

Members of the DRI Community gathered Wednesday night in Washington, D.C. for the latest DRI Executive Update!

Attendees connected with fellow DRI members and heard from DRI President-Elect Jill Rice, DR Center for Law & Public Policy Chair John Guttman and other DRI leaders on the important work DRI and the DRI Center are doing to support our members and strengthen the civil defense community.

A special thank you to DRI Past President John Parker Sweeney and Bradley Arant for hosting this memorable event.

Jill Rice, Danielle Waltz, John Guttman, John Parker Sweeney, Dean Martinez, Toyja Kelley, Charles (Ben) Peoples (Thomas, Thomas & Hafer, LLP); Larry Ebner (Capital Appellate Advocacy)



DRI is the largest bar association for civil defense attorneys and in-house counsel. To learn more and join, visit https://www.dri.org/.

šŸ Itā€™s the final stretch of the 2026 SLDO Membership Campaign! šŸ Which SLDO/NDOs will rise to the top and earn their s...
09/25/2026

šŸ Itā€™s the final stretch of the 2026 SLDO Membership Campaign! šŸ

Which SLDO/NDOs will rise to the top and earn their spot on the leaderboard with the most new members by September 30?

Itā€™s a close race, hereā€™s a look at the leading SLDO/NDOs:

šŸ”ø Small SLDOs - Las Vegas Defense Lawyers; Massachusetts Defense Lawyers Association
šŸ”ø Medium SLDOs - Ohio Association of Civil Trial Attorneys; Defense Association of New York
šŸ”ø Large SLDOs - Florida Defense Lawyers Association; Association of Southern California Defense Counsel

DRI has partnered with your SLDO/NDO to offer a limited-time opportunity to join DRI at no cost for the first year! Help your SLDO/NDO out by encouraging your colleagues to JOIN NOW, this offer is valid through September 30, 2026. Use code FSNRE2026X to register: https://www.dri.org/membership/sldo-pilot

To benefit from this offer, you must be an attorney joining DRI for the first time, or a former member, whose membership lapsed more than three years ago (prior to June 1, 2023).



DRI is the largest bar association for civil defense attorneys and in-house counsel. To learn more and join, visit https://www.dri.org/.

If you havenā€™t booked your room for the 2026 Annual Meeting at the Grand Hyatt Washington in D.C., this is your last cha...
09/24/2026

If you havenā€™t booked your room for the 2026 Annual Meeting at the Grand Hyatt Washington in D.C., this is your last chance to lock in the exclusive group rate before it disappears. The hotel block has been extendedā€”but only until September 27, and rooms are flying fast.

Don't miss the chance to stay where the action is happening. Once the deadline hits, that rate is gone for good.

Still not registered? Nowā€™s the time to sign up and be part of the energy, networking, and excitement that only DRI can deliver.

Learn More and Register: https://www.dri.org/annual-meeting/2026

Thank you to our Premier Sponsors: Court Surety Bond Agency, Dinsmore & Shohl LLP, & LawyerGuard



DRI is the largest bar association for civil defense attorneys and in-house counsel.

That's a wrap! šŸŽ‰ Thanks so much for joining us for DRI and the Centerā€™s 2026 PFAS Seminar! From insightful discussions a...
09/24/2026

That's a wrap! šŸŽ‰

Thanks so much for joining us for DRI and the Centerā€™s 2026 PFAS Seminar! From insightful discussions and practical takeaways to meaningful connections with fellow civil defense professionals, this year's seminar was a great opportunity to learn, share ideas, and engage with the community.

We hope to see you at a future DRI event!



The Center provides the most effective voice for the defense bar in the discussion of substantive law, judicial process, constitutional issues, and the integrity of the civil justice system at both the national and state levels.

šŸ‚ Hello, Fall! šŸ‚The first day of fall has arrived, bringing cooler days, changing leaves, and plenty of seasonal fun. Wh...
09/22/2026

šŸ‚ Hello, Fall! šŸ‚

The first day of fall has arrived, bringing cooler days, changing leaves, and plenty of seasonal fun. Whether you're enjoying a pumpkin spice favorite, cheering on your team, exploring the outdoors, or cozying up with a good book, we'd love to hear it.
How are you planning to enjoy the season? Share in the comments below! šŸ‘‡


DRI is the largest bar association for civil defense attorneys and in-house counsel. To learn more and join, visit DRI.org.

The DRI Asbestos Litigation Committee is proud to spotlight Stephen Cooney (Higgins Cavanagh & Cooney, LLP), a Partner i...
09/21/2026

The DRI Asbestos Litigation Committee is proud to spotlight Stephen Cooney (Higgins Cavanagh & Cooney, LLP), a Partner in the firm's Litigation Practice Group and member of the DRI Asbestos Litigation Committee's leadership group.

From the Asbestos Litigation Committee:
"We are proud to spotlight Stephen P. Cooney, Chair of the 2026 DRI Annual Meeting Asbestos Subcommittee and a dedicated leader within DRI. A member since 2006, Steve has demonstrated a longstanding commitment to the organization through his service as part of the Annual Meeting Asbestos Subcommittee, as the State and Local Defense Organizations (SLDO) Representative for Rhode Island, and now as a member of the DRI Board of Directors, serving as Northeast Region Director. In recognition of his outstanding leadership and service, Steve was also honored as DRI's 2025 recipient of the Kevin Driskill Outstanding State Representative Award.

Among Steveā€™s most rewarding DRI experiences has been participating in the organizationā€™s leadership conferences at DRI Annual Meetings, where members collaborate, learn, and strengthen professional relationships across the defense bar. His dedication to fostering engagement is also reflected in the work of his committee, whose goal is to provide opportunities for members of the Asbestos Substantive Law Committee to gather, connect, and confer during the Annual Meeting, and of course the Asbestos Medicine Seminar!"

Register for the 2026 Asbestos Medicine Seminar: https://www.dri.org/education-cle/seminars/2026/asbestos

Know a DRI member you think deserves recognition? Submit them for a spotlight by emailing [email protected].



DRI is the largest bar association for civil defense attorneys and in-house counsel. To learn more and join, visit DRI.org.

Today, DRI welcomed the Commercial Litigation Committee for their annual fly-in meeting. Leadership gathered to collabor...
09/18/2026

Today, DRI welcomed the Commercial Litigation Committee for their annual fly-in meeting. Leadership gathered to collaborate, strategize, and set the stage for whatā€™s ahead in 2027.

Thank you to everyone who came out!



DRI is the largest bar association for civil defense attorneys and in-house counsel. To learn more and join, visit DRI.org.

What a week in San Antonio! DRI hosted two seminars side by side at the Marriott River Center this September 16-18ā€”the S...
09/18/2026

What a week in San Antonio! DRI hosted two seminars side by side at the Marriott River Center this September 16-18ā€”the Senior Living and Long-Term Care Litigation Seminar and the Strictly Automotive Seminarā€” bringing together defense litigators, in-house counsel, and industry leaders for three days of strategy and genuine connection.

Attendees of these two programs supported our DRI Cares project with Storybridge, which supports a childhood literacy mission in the Texas panhandle.

If you missed this year, sign up for notifications on when early bird registration opens for 2027 Senior Living Seminar: https://dri.formstack.com/forms/senior_living_27.



DRI is the largest bar association for civil defense attorneys and in-house counsel. To learn more and join, visit DRI.org.

This week in San Antonio, DRI presented Steve Plunkett with the Medical Liability and Health Care Law Committee Distingu...
09/17/2026

This week in San Antonio, DRI presented Steve Plunkett with the Medical Liability and Health Care Law Committee Distinguished Achievement Award for his many contributions to the committee and our programs here at DRI. He is retiring, and we want to celebrate him and wish him well as he enters this new chapter!



DRI is the largest bar association for civil defense attorneys and in-house counsel. To learn more and join, visit DRI.org.

Eleanor the eagle did not sign up for this! But while she was enjoying San Antonio, she was pulled into the Strictly Aut...
09/17/2026

Eleanor the eagle did not sign up for this! But while she was enjoying San Antonio, she was pulled into the Strictly Automotive Seminar's interactive presentations at Biodynamic Research Corporation (BRC), where attendees gained a practical, hands-on look at the vehicle technologies and crash dynamics that drive modern automotive litigation, so they can leave better equipped to connect sensor performance and accident analysis to the claims and defenses they handle in practice.



DRI is the largest bar association for civil defense attorneys and in-house counsel. To learn more and join, visit DRI.org.

Address

222 S. Riverside Plaza, Ste. 1870
Chicago, IL

Opening Hours

Monday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Tuesday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Thursday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Friday 8:30am - 4:30pm

Telephone

+13127951101

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when DRI posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Practice

Send a message to DRI:

Shortcuts

Share

Category