Posted on September 29, 2022
For the sixth time, I am honored to be invited to give a lecture at American University Washington College of Law on behalf of the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO). Professor Bettina Poirier’s extensive career on The Hill undoubtedly brings real-life experience and knowledge to law students. My talk, “Asbestos: Drafting Legislation During Tumultuous Times” will be centered around the past 18 years of legal and legislative actions from a nonprofit’s perspective with our strategy and tactics. 
Drafting and passing legislation is a marathon, never a sprint. Similar to a war, there are many battles, milestones, and unexpected turns along the way. Sharing ADAO’s legal and legislative strategies and tactics with students again is a great honor. As Sun Tzu wrote in The Art of War, “Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.”
I want to make sure the students understand that drafting legislation takes time, sometimes years or decades, and in order to be successful you must be patient and watchful. Shaping public policy moves slowly, but our prevention and policy efforts have led to the bicameral introduction of several Alan Reinstein Ban Asbestos Now (ARBAN) Acts, including that of ARBAN 2022.
From 18 years of Asbestos Awareness Week Resolutions, to the Alan Reinstein Ban Asbestos Now (ARBAN) Act of 2022, I look forward to sharing the behind-the-scenes truth about strategically drafting and passing legislation.
Together, time has proven that we can make change happen and we are all deeply committed to legal and legislative strategies that prevent asbestos exposure to eliminate all asbestos-caused diseases and protect public health.
Linda Reinstein