June 2010 Archives

"Only someone who is not a tort lawyer would be disturbed by the oil spill that has spiraled into the biggest environmental disaster in American history. Tort lawyers see what they always see when lives and livelihoods are ruined - money."

NY Daily News columnist Michael Daly, June 20, 2010

"In the midst of this mess and fiscal nightmare, Lawyers for Clean Water have flown into town, allegedly to assist damaged neighbors suing the city. In fact, San Francisco-based lawyers paid $550 an hour, eating a celebratory $125 lunch at Il Fornaio and giving 40 percent tips, are acting like vultures feasting upon Colfax like it was roadkill."

Colfax City Manager Bruce Kranz, in an op-ed in the Colfax Record on June 10, discussing the actions of a Bay Area firm seeking higher fees paid immediately.

"The trial lawyers, a major contributor to Congressional campaign coffers, are the only beneficiary of the current system, and Washington appears unwilling to take them on, especially in an election year. We'll see in the fall elections if voters are still happy to have special interests put ahead of the public interest."

Philip K. Howard, head of the legal reform group Common Good, on announcement of $25 million in grants awarded for patient safety and medical liability projects as part of federal health care legislation.

"Even more laughable is the inclusion of Consumer Attorneys of California as a 'business organization.' It is, in effect, another professional labor union that devotes most of its political energy to making it easier to sue businesses in personal injury cases."

Sacramento Bee columnist Dan Walters, talking about Berkeley-based Maplight.org's efforts to classify trial lawyers as business interests. June 4, 2010