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Learn more about the status of lawsuit abuse and civil justice reform issues in each state.

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Lawsuit Climate 2008

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Congress Should Investigate Trial Lawyer Crimes

Statement of ILR President Lisa Rickard on Leader Boehner and House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Smith’s call for the House of Representatives to investigate recent abuses by the plaintiffs’ trial bar:

“While the indictments and guilty pleas of well-known trial lawyers have made front page news, Congress has until now ignored this national scandal.  We fully support Leader Boehner and House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Smith’s call for a Congressional investigation into the abusive and fraudulent practices of some of America’s most powerful plaintiffs’ lawyers..."

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Read Boehner and Smith's letter calling for an investigation (PDF)

Lawsuit Climate 2008: Where Does Your State Rank?

Lawsuit Climate 2008

ILR's annual study ranks the legal fairness of each of the 50 states.

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View Your State's Ranking

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Download Full Harris Survey (PDF)

Best States

Worst States

Rank

  

Rank

  

1

Delaware

50

West Virginia

2

Nebraska

49

Louisiana

3

Maine

48

Mississippi

4

Indiana

47

Alabama

5

Utah

46

Illinois

Lawsuit Climate 2008 Press Conference

Lawsuit Climate 2008 Press Conference

At a recent press conference in Baton Rouge, ILR released Lawsuit Climate 2008: Ranking the States.  Speakers included Tom Donohue, president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce; Maura Donahue, president of DonahueFavret Contractors in Louisiana; and David Krane, Vice President of Public Affairs and Policy Research at Harris Interactive.

Video of the press conference

Photos of the press conference

Lawsuit Climate 2008: Ranking the States

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Legal Reform is a Constant Process, Not a One-Time Event

ILR President Lisa Rickard

By Lisa Rickard

Since we began our state ranking in 2002, several states have enacted “tort reform” of various types and to varying degrees of success. The truth is, enacting legal reforms is only the first step. The legal climate is only as good as the willingness of the state’s judiciary to interpret the reforms and to follow them as enacted.

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Lawsuit Climate 2008: Ranking the States

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ILR in the Media

Lawsuit Climate 2008 TV Ad

Lawsuit Climate 2008

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