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By PORAC | September 1, 2010 | Posted in Chairman's Message

It’s Your Fund; Use It Wisely!

Posted by Andy Schlenker

Chairman’s Message

Andy Schlenker
LDF Chairman

Often, we forget that the Legal Defense Fund exists solely for the benefit of its members. There is no business, profit-oriented insurance company or faceless corporate giant behind the scenes. It is instead a compilation of public safety officers contributing to a fund for the potential benefit of themselves and every other public safety officer participating member.

LDF members are not only the intended beneficiaries of the fund, but are also its sole contributors. As we are all aware, these contributions (or dues) will either increase or decrease as a direct result of your association’s usage.

While I would like to quote the famous and say something like “Ask not what your fund can do for you, but instead what you can do for your fund,” instead I am suggesting something which can and will benefit you, the fund and your association — and  your LDF rates!

At this year’s PORAC annual conference in Las Vegas in November, our LDF Legal Administrator, Ed Fishman, will be presenting a seminar entitled “Avoiding the Avoidable; Lower Your LDF Rates.” This discussion will include information regarding what you can do as both an individual member to avoid ever having the need to use the LDF, as well as proven methods and practical tips on certain practices which association leaderships can employ to quickly and effectively lower their LDF rates. By each one of us reducing our need to use the LDF, we will all benefit. The individual officer can avoid finding themselves on the sticky end of an IA; the member associations will enjoy advising their members at the next “rating season” that the dues have been reduced; and the fund as a whole can best utilize its resources for those unavoidable circumstances where certain members need the best legal representation and limitless resources to seek justice.

Ed Fishman has practiced in the field of peace officer representation for nearly 20 years. In his position as Legal Administrator, he has the unique opportunity to observe scores of individual situations and association decision-making practices. In his desire to assist each individual member, and help every participating association lower their LDF usage, he has prepared this informational discussion with an eye towards letting all of us benefit from the successes and mistakes of others. Undoubtedly, as this information is presented to you, it will greatly assist all of us in making decisions which will benefit not only us as individuals, but also our fellow association members, as well as the entirety of the Legal Defense Fund.

Please make your best effort to attend Ed’s seminar, and encourage others attending the conference to do so as well. Remember, it is your fund; use it wisely.

I look forward to seeing you in Las Vegas this coming November.