Michigan Trial Lawyers Association / Michigan Trial Lawyers Association

In 1945 attorney Samuel Charfoos founded a workers´ compensation association in Detroit, "filling a vacuum" for injured workers´ legal representation in the State of Michigan. It became the first chapter of the National Association of Claimants´ Compensation Attorneys (NACCA). The chapter incorporated as a nonprofit in 1961. It changed its name to the Michigan Trial Lawyers Association in 1966 after the NACCA was renamed the Association of Trial Lawyers of America. In 1970 the Michigan Trial Lawyers Association (MTLA) moved to Lansing from Detroit. In addition to protecting the rights of the injured and advocating for a fair and effective civil justice system, the MTLA founded the People´s Law School in 1977 to educate citizens on their legal rights and responsibilities. It launched another community program, Lids for Kids, in 2000, giving away free bicycle helmets. The MTLA became the Michigan Association for Justice in 2007.