Society of Settlement Planners

The Society of Settlement Planners is a non-profit organization which consists mostly of structured settlement brokers that advocate plaintiff rights http://www.settlementplanners.org/Module/Home/Home.aspx.  It started a number of years ago by a small handful of this industries key players feeling a need to separate themselves from the NSSTA http://www.nssta.com/Resource.phx/public/index.htx.  Although, the NSSTA has served its purpose over the years dealing with such items as legislative issues, it clearly is felt to be lacking in the educational department.  As Membership Chair for the SSP (Society of Settlement Planners), I have received feedback from those who have attended both NSSTA Annual meetings and the SSP Annual meetings.  A recent comment was "I have learned more in 1/2 day at the SSP Annual than I have at 10 years of NSSTA Annuals!"  Wow. 

The SSP membership gathers together on a monthly basis to discuss various mundane organizational issues as well as marketing and directional issues.  Today, I just got off a lengthly monthly meeting and was impressed with its content.  It seems that the SSP is ready to roll-up its sleeves and get serious with regard to its marketing agenda.  They are working on a newsletter which is scheduled to go out periodically as well as regular e-mail letters, to its membership base, from the President, currently Chuck Derenne.  There will also be an aggressive outreach program to not only plaintiff's attorney's but also to peripheral organizations that may benefit from an association with an elite group of structured settlement/planning experts.  Those of you who have been a member in the past and have let your membership lapse would be advised to take another look.  If you have never been a member and perform 50% or more plaintiff work, I invite you to take a peek.

One of the things I, personally, enjoy most about the SSP is their willingness to share not only what has worked for them but also their thoughts and concerns with regard to important up-to-the-minute issues.  It is truly a most amazing educational forum.

The Annual meeting, scheduled for March 2007, is showing promise of being nothing less than phenomenal in its content, as always.  Stay tuned for more information as I receive it.  Of course, as Membership Chair, I invite you to call me or any of the board members for further information and how to become a member.  I believe this year will be different in that there will not be a requirement to be a member in order to attend the Annual meeting.  Fantastic for those of you who are still performing more defense work but still feel the need to be the best that you can be!  Plan on packing a bag for D.C. for the spring!

As always, it's Ben Fun!!

Comments

[Chuck Derenne]

Rhonda, congratulations on entering into the world of blogging and thank you for all the hard work you do for us at the SSP and on our files.

[Robin Young-Ellis, CSSC]

King of Torts, Lawyer of the Century, infamous plaintiff attorney, Joe Jamail, 82, of Houston, Texas will be the key-note speaker at the NSSTA Regional Conference in Austin, Texas on January 17, 2008. Kudos to Robin Young-Ellis, CSSC, exclusive broker for over a decade to Jamail for arranging Joe Jamail to speak at the conference.