Shadowy front groups working on behalf of corporations that have profited from asbestos have convinced lawmakers to hold a hearing tomorrow on legislation that delays justice and allows corporations to deny accountability. The legislation was crafted by lobbyists for the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) and the U.S. Chamber’s Institute for Legal Reform (ILR).
FULL ARTICLEWhy is Victor Schwartz Hiding Ties to ALEC?
A major player in the shadowy corporate front group, the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), is now denying his ALEC membership. The Private Sector Chair of ALEC’s Civil Justice Task Force, corporate lobbyist Victor Schwartz, told a reporter that “neither he nor his law firm, Shook, Hardy & Bacon, are members of ALEC” and then declined to comment further.
FULL ARTICLEToday, Bloomberg ran a powerful story on the real-life implications of forced arbitration on consumers and employees. It covers the history of forced arbitration and includes the story of William Kurth. Bloomberg writes:
FULL ARTICLEThe Institute of Medicine (IOM) released a report Tuesday recommending that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) review drugs on a regular basis for as long as they are on the market in order to catch any new safety issues. The IOM also recommended that the FDA create a comprehensive, publicly available document that reflects risks as they crop up throughout the "lifecycle" of the drug.
FULL ARTICLEJohn Adams said,
“Representative government and trial by jury are the heart and lungs of liberty.”
He and the other Founders wisely set up a system of accountability through the “checks and balances” provided by three co-equal branches of government. And they sealed the deal with the passage of the Bill of Rights, specifically the 6th and 7th Amendments, which provide the right to trial by jury.
FULL ARTICLEThe following is a statement from American Association for Justice (AAJ) President Gary M. Paul in honor of National Law Day:
FULL ARTICLE“As Americans we value our freedom, the rights guaranteed to us through our Constitution, and our ability to seek justice. For more than 200 years our court system has served us well by providing an open place where everyone has a fair chance to be heard and seek justice. Law Day reminds us that freedom is not free, and neither is justice."
This weekend MSNBC’s Up with Chris Hayes called out the Domestic Protection Fuels Act (H.R.4345) for shielding big oil companies, like BP, from accountability when their products harm consumers and damage the environment.
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