Paul Coates attended the American Advocates for Justice (AAJ) Winter Conference in San Diego in February. The AAJ is a national lobbying and advocacy organization with members who are plaintiff trial lawyers. As explained on the AAJ’s website, that national organization seeks to promote justice and fairness for injured persons, to safeguard victims’ rights (particularly the right to trial by jury), and to strengthen the civil justice system through education and disclosure of information deemed critical to public health and safety. AAJ provides its members with information and professional assistance to help them serve their clients.

Numerous topics were addressed during the five-day conference, including impactful verdicts, cross examination, and the “Life of a Trial.” There were many meetings of various practice areas, including the Opioids Litigation Group Meeting. Paul attended that session, since he has represented and continues to represent plaintiffs in the opioid litigation. He is active in representing North Carolina Governmental Entities in the National Opioid Litigation, helping bring hundreds of millions of dollars into North Carolina to fight the opioid epidemic by providing treatment, education, and enforcement resources to counties and cities across North Carolina.