Southern Trial Lawyers Association

The Southern Trial Lawyers Association encompasses the following member states: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia.

STLA History

The Southern Trial Lawyers Association was formed in 1988 by a handful of lawyers with Lawrence “Larry” J. Smith serving as the first president. It all started when Larry had a big party in New Orleans and allowed people to ride on his Mardi Gras float and go to the Krewe’s event. He had also developed a terrific seminar, which at the time was sponsored by the Louisiana Bar Association. As the organization was being formed, Larry Smith came up with the idea of calling it Southern Trial Lawyers Association, similar to the already established Western Trial Lawyers Association. Larry spoke to Frank Branson from Dallas, Texas, about creating the organization, and together they officially became co-founders. They had a party, they had an organization, and they had an educational seminar that continues to this day as one of the best CLE events in the country.