Frequently Asked Questions

IB is a plaintiff trial attorney association comprised of members throughout the U.S., Canada, the U.K. and the Caribbean.

Injury Board benefits member firms by helping them develop in 3 key areas:

• Client Development – Connecting with and winning targeted clients.
• Practice Management – Leading and managing a growing practice.
• Professional Growth – Focusing and accelerating as a leader and attorney.

The Injury Board is committed to the preservation of the civil justice system, empowering the most elite trial attorneys throughout the United States, Canada, the Caribbean and the United Kingdom to grow and succeed in all aspects of their practice beyond just networking and referrals. We serve as a holistic partner for member firms – supporting their growth, operations, marketing, education, community impact, and fostering a collaborative environment for mutual success.

We do this by:

• Bringing added value to members through dedicated member success initiatives and personalized consulting on their needs and pain points
• Offering a wide range of benefits across marketing, operations/practice management, and professional growth/leadership development
• Facilitating best practice sharing, education, and collaboration opportunities through working groups, webinars, and events
• Coordinating community outreach activities and “Day of Action” charitable initiatives for members
• Exploring new programs like mentorship to foster knowledge transfer and support the next generation of attorneys
• Providing a “safe space” for members to openly discuss challenges and get advice from peers in the industry

Most IB members are in the continental United States, however we are growing internationally. Please visit our Directory to see where we currently have members.

Memberships cover everyone who is employed at the firm, including non-attorney staff, and Of-Counsel.

No, only one attorney is required to meet the membership criteria for the entire firm to be eligible.

No, it is not required to have both leadership and board certification to be eligible.

Unless board certified, at least one attorney at the firm must hold or have held a leadership position with:

• State or local trial lawyer association
• State or local bar association 
• The American Association for Justice (AAJ)
• NBTA, national or regional
• ABOTA, national or regional

Members of the judiciary, or those in political office, may also be considered. 

Other organizations will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

IB members all have a culture of giving back to the community. IB wants to be assured that community service is a priority, however, we do not request reporting on hours served or monetary contributions.

IB does not have a Board and there are no meetings you are required to attend.

A firm is ineligible if:

• The firm, or any member thereof, practices any type of insurance or product liability defense
• The firm markets itself in a way that creates a negative perception of the trial bar
• No attorneys at the firm meet the leadership or board certification criteria
• Serious disciplinary action has been taken against the firm
• Any current IB member objects to the prospective membership

IB does permit organizations that provide products or services to the plaintiff bar to join – “Corporate Membership.”

*Conditions do apply. Please contact our Director of Business Development for more details. 

Corporate members are not required to meet the leadership or board certification criteria. However, IB is a member approved organization, so as with law firms, corporate members are subject to vetting and IB member review. 

Corporate members and law firm members receive all of the same membership benefits.

Dues cover all attorneys and staff at the firm, paid monthly or annually at the member’s option. Please contact our Business Development Director for the most up-to-date pricing. 

Our tangible resources fall into three tiers: client development, practice management, and professional growth. 

Below is a high level list of IB member benefits

• Access to the Listserv and member to member referral network
• Marketing and practice management service hours
• Access to annual Day of Action and subsequent PR benefits
• Educational webinars
• Discounted registration to annual IB Pathfinder conference
• Access to members-only IB Summit 
• Member networking activities at winter and summer AAJ conventions
• Discounted rates on sponsorship packages
• Member success consultations
• Working groups for operations staff, marketing staff, paralegals and new lawyers
• Firm exposure through Living Safer magazine
• Discounted rate on customized/branded Living Safer option
• Member exclusive incentives through select corporate IB members
• Mass torts program

IB has an active member-to-member referral network. 

Because our organization is small and cooperative, the network is hugely valuable. Our firms are a close-knit family of like minded professionals. There is a great deal of trust and confidence between them. Our members look to each other first for referrals, recommendations on practice resources, subject matter experts or other needs.

Injury Board provides a variety of ways for members to connect. Injury Board members are featured in our prominent online and printed firm directories. Additionally, IB has an active Listserv where members share or request recommendations on resources, subject matter experts, and case referral requests. Also, we gather both in-person and online throughout the year. 

Every IB firm receives twelve project hours annually to be used across our three focus areas: marketing, operations, and leadership. If a member firm does not utilize all of their project hours, they can be donated to a non-profit of their choice at the end of the calendar year.

We are not replacing your marketing company, so if you work with a third party agency or have in-house marketing staff, that’s great. These project hours are a supplement to be utilized as you see fit. They can be used for strategic services, such as helping develop a marketing plan, or more tactical – brochures, business cards, templates and more. 

Our founders are mass tort attorneys; however, only about 15% of our members are active mass tort litigators. The IB Mass Tort Program is designed to educate single event personal injury attorneys on emerging mass tort opportunities. In other words, if you want to get your foot in the mass tort door, you’ve come to the right place.

For each mass tort project the group engages in, we host confidential webinars lead by IB members who are in MDL leadership. We also provide a turnkey marketing package that includes intake forms, email newsletter and website copy, graphics, and more. At their request, we then pair IB members with fellow members who are actively litigating these cases. In short, we help you educate your current PI clients about mass torts, so when those clients come to you for help, you’ll have a trusted referral firm ready to take their case and share co-counsel fees with you.

Day of Action is our annual, nationwide community service event. We select a charity or cause to support on the same day in all fifty states, with IB staff handling all details and logistics for member firms. It’s a turnkey public relations package that allows members to spend more time furthering the selected cause, rather than worrying about logistics. It’s a fantastic opportunity to showcase our members as different kinds of lawyers – ones who give back in a meaningful way.

Living Safer is our quarterly magazine, which focuses on safety, health, wellness and associated legal issues. It is offered in both print and digital formats. The purpose is to brand participating firms as those who want to prevent injury, rather than profit from it. The magazine can be customized (white labeled) by participating firms for an additional cost. 

Living Safer is best thought of as the ultimate in law firm newsletters, except it’s a bona fide magazine, with a production quality that ensures white labeling firms stand out among peers. Send it to clients, referral sources, community and political leaders. As with all IB products, Living Safer is turnkey, requiring minimal resources from member firms.

Webinars
Webinars are typically monthly and cover various topics, such as emerging mass torts, practice management, marketing, succession planning, or a behind-the-scenes look at a member’s major verdict. Our webinars are a great way for members to showcase their expertise. 

Events
We host two annual events: the IB Summit and Pathfinder.

Consultative Services
We provide one-on-one consultation to support the professional aspirations of the firm’s lawyers and staff. All IB member firms have highly accomplished attorneys, as defined by our membership criteria. However, we partner with member firms to grow all levels of attorneys, associates, and staff to reach their professional goals and further serve and preserve the civil justice system.

Our Member Success Director serves as the main contact for all IB members. Our Director maintains constant communication with all members to ensure they engage in the most impactful way possible. The Director works side-by-side with firms to identify their highest priority organizational goals, the pain points causing obstacles in reaching those goals, and then recommends how to best leverage resources both within and outside of IB to meet those goals and combat those challenges.

No, but it is strongly recommended. As a culture of giving back is inherent in IB and our members, participation in Day of Action is a fantastic way to demonstrate that priority to your community.

Webinars are both live and recorded. The live session allows attendees to ask questions directly to the speaker. Recordings of the webinar are then placed in a members-only access library for viewing at your convenience. 

IB hosts two annual conferences. The Pathfinder conference is hosted in the spring, and the IB Summit is hosted in autumn. For more information on our Injury Board events, visit our events page. 

At this time, we do not but we can assist with providing an agenda for you to file for CLE with your state, if allowed.