Trial Lawyers' Influence

Trial Lawyers' Influence

Personal injury lawsuits and other tort claims represent a $40 billion per year industry built upon the abuse and misuse of America’s legal system by contingency-fee lawyers. While these trial lawyers (or plaintiffs’ lawyers or personal injury lawyers) have long claimed to champion “the little guy,” their injured and uninjured plaintiffs are often drawn into a legal process that primarily just expands trial lawyers’ finances and political power.

Issues/Research: Trial Lawyers' Influence

101 Ways To Improve State Legal Systems

This user's guide to promoting fair and effective civil justice provides policymakers with a compilation of some of the many avenues available to fostering a sound legal system that promotes states’ economies. The reforms are organized into five areas. The first section highlights five reforms that have gained momentum and should be of particular interest to state legislators. The report then considers fair and effective measures that would improve the litigation process, improve product liability law, promote rational liability rules, and rein in excessive damage awards. LEARN MORE »

Source: U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Released: Sep 13, 2012

About the Study: The Plaintiffs' Bar Goes Digital

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Peter Snyder, founder and CEO of New Media Strategies, discusses "The Plaintiffs' Bar Goes Digital," a study of how plaintiffs’ lawyers market their services online which reveals some of the most sophisticated, high-dollar tactics of any commercial industry. This interview was conducted at the 2011 Legal Reform Summit, where Snyder presented preliminary results of the study.

Source: U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform
Released: Jun 28, 2012

The Plaintiffs' Bar Goes Digital

This study of how plaintiffs’ lawyers market their services online reveals some of the most sophisticated, high-dollar tactics of any commercial industry. The study details how many plaintiffs’ firms create and dispatch a wide variety of websites and use social media tools such as Twitter and Facebook to create a complex web of information presented in a broad variety of ways, all designed to attract and vet potential clients for lawsuits. LEARN MORE »

Source: U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform
Released: Feb 29, 2012

About the Panel: Trial Bar Trends We Don't Want to Continue

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At the 12th Annual Legal Reform Summit on October 26, 2011, Katherine L. Adams, the Senior Vice President and General Counsel at Honeywell International, Inc., took part in a panel discussion entitled "Trends We Don't Want To Continue: A Look at the Latest Lawsuits and Theories from The Trial Bar." In this video, she provides an overview of the panel discussion.

Source: U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform
Released: Dec 16, 2011

Testimony of John Bellinger Before the House Judiciary Subcommittee Hearing on "Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Judgments"

On November 15, 2011, John B. Bellinger, III, Partner at Arnold & Porter LLP and Adjunct Senior Fellow in International and National Security Law at the Council on Foreign Relations, testified on behalf of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform before the U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, Commercial and Administrative Law hearing on "Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Judgments." LEARN MORE »

Source: U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform
Released: Nov 15, 2011

Access to Justice or the Bottom Line? The Growing Commercialization of the Practice of Law

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This panel at the 12th Annual Legal Reform Summit on October 26, 2011 addressed the “commercialization” of the practice of law through issues such as third-party litigation financing, where outside investors have a stake in the outcome of ligation; the new trial lawyer “bounty hunter” ads on the internet; and the growing interest in allowing investors to partner with lawyers in law firms.

Source: U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform
Released: Oct 26, 2011

The Plaintiffs' Bar Goes Digital (Powerpoint presentation)

Released at the 12th Annual Legal Reform Summit, this presentation reveals the digital tactics of the trial bar -- where and how they are spending their money to advertise online.

Source: New Media Strategies
Released: Oct 26, 2011

Lawyers Mass Tort Solicitation Advertising

Released at the 12th Annual Legal Reform Summit, this study of trial lawyer advertising found that lawyers spent $844 million on advertising in 2010 and that spending by trial lawyers has risen by an average of 8.1% a year since 2004.

Source: Kantar Media
Released: Oct 26, 2011

Letter to U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee opposing nomination of John 'Jack' McConnell to the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island

Source: Institute for Legal Reform | Released: May 11, 2010

Promoting Merit in Merit Selection

The U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform examined the various state merit selection practices for fairness, effectiveness and independence. Arizona leads the nation with the procedures it has put in place to fulfill the promise of true nonpartisan “merit” selection. This document describes what we believe are the “best practices” that have come from the writings of legal experts in this area and from the real-world Arizona experience.

Source: Institute for Legal Reform
Released: Oct 28, 2009

More research from Trial Lawyers' Influence »