The National Legal Aid and Defender Association (NLADA) has formed a risk retention group to provide liability coverage to members of the association—NLADA Mutual Insurance Co., A Risk Retention Group (NLADA RRG). Formed in 1911 by fifteen legal aid societies in New York, “NLADA is America’s oldest and largest nonprofit association devoted to excellence in the delivery of legal services to those who cannot afford counsel.”
In its dedication to its membership and its strong understanding of the risk profiles of its members, NLADA RRG is a case study for the potential of the risk retention group vehicle. The Risk Retention Reporter sent questions to NLADA RRG President, CEO, & Board Chair Jo-Ann Wallace to discuss why the time was right for the RRG, the unique risk profile of NLADA members, and how NLADA plans to utilize the risk retention group to further the “business of doing justice.”
The Risk Retention Reporter: What made it the right time to move away from the NLADA Insurance Program? What has the response been from the NLADA membership on the transition to the RRG?
Jo-Ann Wallace: For more than 100 years, the National Legal Aid & Defender Association (NLADA) has worked to strengthen the nation’s civil legal aid and public defense organizations and expand access to legal assistance for people who can’t afford counsel. In 1994, NLADA created the NLADA Insurance Program to provide professional insurance products to the equal justice community. NLADA Mutual Insurance Co., A Risk Retention Group (NLADA Mutual) is the next generation version of the nearly thirty-year old NLADA Insurance Program.
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