Chair's Column: Dragged Up a Hill and to the Section

Coming off the energy and connections that were reinforced as well as created at the Section’s Emerging Issues in Healthcare Law Conference (also known as EMI), it is a great time to spotlight another leader in the Section. The spotlight this time is on J.J. Rodriguez, a partner at Manatt. Along with telling J.J.’s story of how he got involved with the Section, this is also an opportunity to recognize J.J. for being nominated to serve as the next Chair of the Section’s D&I Committee.

With that backdrop, how and why did J.J. get introduced to the Section? It all starts with a friend and participating in what was referred to as the cardiac arrest run. The friend just happened to be another leader in the Section, Stefan Chacon. J.J. reached out to Stefan because J.J. had recently received the chance to help on a healthcare litigation case, because he raised his hand when help was sought. This occurred early in his practice and seemed like it would potentially be a single opportunity. However, as happens so often with all of us who get involved in healthcare, J.J. liked the healthcare aspect of the case. What started as just a way to get more litigation experience became a practice J.J. wanted to dive into.

Once J.J. decided he wanted to pursue a focus on healthcare, he called Stefan for help. The discussion continued while J.J., in his words, trailed along with Stefan on the so-called cardiac arrest run, a race that included a serious uphill climb that took everyone’s breath away, except for Stefan who kept talking about health law. J.J. wanted to pick Stefan’s brain about what it meant to be in healthcare. While the two did talk about practicing in healthcare, it was also suggested that J.J. get into the Section. The introduction to the Section was easy because Stefan was on the Healthcare Litigation and Risk Management Interest Group, which aligned with what J.J. was focused on.

J.J. started attending the IG’s calls and then EMI for the first time. In an origin story similar to so many others, J.J. was introduced around at EMI by Stefan along with David Johnson. The introductions let him meet many others within the Section and kick off a lot of connections. J.J. said the conversations got him hooked. There is nothing better about demonstrating the impact of the Section than emphasizing the connections and relationships that are formed through the conversations and meetings at a conference.

Following the initial introduction, J.J. talked about moving up the ranks within the Litigation IG. As J.J. said, he started with the IG just by joining the calls before becoming a liaison, then became a Vice Chair and now Chair of the IG. Adding onto the description from J.J., having the benefit of being there for much of his progression through the IG, I would note that there are extremely strong connections and bonds that have been formed by the leaders. They all plan ahead to ensure plenty of opportunity to hang out and catch up when in-person meetings happen and regularly talk to each other. Those leaders all come from different practice areas too, which helps blend perspectives and make assessments stronger for all of them.

Getting back to J.J.: He spoke to the many ways that the Section has helped him grow as a litigator focused on healthcare by being able to learn from and lean on everyone he has met through the Section. He has been able to participate in initiatives within the broader Association as well, not just in the Section. J.J. talked about how the Association opportunities allow him to give back to the bigger legal community and be a part of work that has a larger impact on different communities within the country. Those chances underscore the diverse range of opportunities that come with participation in the Section.

J.J. also pointed out that being involved with the Section means saying yes a lot. Saying yes comes with hard work, but the work doesn’t feel burdensome or overwhelming because once you are involved in the Section, you want to keep it up. Implicit in J.J.’s description of the involvement is that it offers the chance to keep working with different friends that everyone can and does make when a part of Section leadership.

While it would be great to say that involvement in the Section is all about giving back, there is also the ability to get benefits in return. For J.J., the core benefit is not only connecting with other lawyers, but establishing and growing friendships with so many different colleagues within the Section. Echoing a sentiment that I very much agree with, J.J. said that he would not be able to practice in the healthcare space without the connections and network that he created through involvement in the Section.

That real personal return should be evident to anyone who has ever attended any Section event, whether in person or virtual. All of the leaders in the Section want to welcome folks into the fold and get you involved.

The feelings and perspectives expressed by J.J., of finding connection and being able to tap into bigger communities, should not be surprising. Those outcomes seem to be an outgrowth of his career as an educator before becoming a lawyer. Educators want to inspire and foster growth in their students. That seems to encapsulate so much of what we want to do in the Section.

I want to issue a challenge to everyone who has recently attended at least one of the Section’s in-person events. If you were a first-time attendee, how did you find the experience? How many new connections were you able to make, and were you welcomed by folks who had attended before? Along with what was hopefully a welcoming experience, can the Section become your home in the health law field and be able to give back to you what so many others have found in it?

For those who are more experienced in the Section, did you connect with a first-time attendee? Did you make sure someone wasn’t standing alone at a reception? Did you think about or actually follow up with someone after the event to deepen the connection?

Regardless of the initial answer to any of those questions, the good news is that it is never too late to get better connected, follow up, or take any other action that will pull you into the Section. The Section is here and we want everyone in our community.