CJAC in the News
CJAC Statement on Public Entity Tort Reform Deal
Media Contact:
Nick Mirman
nick@cmpublicaffairs.com
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (August 28, 2026) — Jaime Huff, President and CEO of the Civil Justice Association of California, today released the following statement after legislative leadership announced a deal on public entity tort reform:
“The deal announced last night puts some common sense back into a system where questionable claims and runaway litigation costs have drained billions from schools, local governments and taxpayers.
Bad ADA “Reform” Bill Dies in Senate Appropriations
Media Contact:
Nick Mirman
nick@cmpublicaffairs.com
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (August 13, 2026) — Jaime Huff, President and CEO of the Civil Justice Association of California, released the following statement after AB 649 (Lowenthal) was held in Senate Appropriations:
“CJAC remains committed to meaningful ADA reform, and we are grateful that the Senate agreed that AB 649 is not the right answer.
California’s Antitrust Makeover Is a Full-Employment Act for Billboard Lawyers
Los Angeles Daily News - August 12, 2026
Los Angeles Daily News version posted here.
By Jaime Huff
Lawyers are – speaking as one myself- generally crafty people.
Ford Lawsuit Exposes Lemon Law Abuse Machine
Media Contact:
Nick Mirman
nick@cmpublicaffairs.com
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (June 24, 2026) — Jaime Huff, President and CEO of the Civil Justice Association of California, released the following statement in response to Ford Motor Company’s lawsuit against prolific plaintiff’s firm Quill & Arrow, alleging the firm committed fraud in its lemon law practice:
“California’s lemon law was written to protect consumers, not create lawsuit mills and increase costs for everyday consumers.
Opinion: Plaintiff lawyers are abusing a California privacy law to shake down small businesses
Sacramento Business Journal - May 18, 2026
Sacramento Business Journal posted here
By Jaime Huff
Imagine having a private conversation with a friend over the phone.
Now imagine that same so-called friend secretly recorded the call and shared it with others. Most people would agree that should be illegal.
Senate Rejects SB 982 Again, Protects Californians from Higher Costs and Fuel Shortages
Media Contact:
Nick Mirman
nick@cmpublicaffairs.com
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (April 22, 2026) — Jaime Huff, President and CEO of the Civil Justice Association of California, again released the following statement after the Senate Insurance Committee rejected SB 982 (Wiener), a deeply flawed proposal that would have driven up costs, destabilized California’s fuel market and made life even harder for families already struggling under the state’s affordability crisis:
Senate Judiciary Committee Rejects SB 982, Protects Californians from Higher Costs and Fuel Shortages
Media Contact:
Nick Mirman
nick@cmpublicaffairs.com
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (April 14, 2026) — Jaime Huff, President and CEO of the Civil Justice Association of California, released the following statement after the Senate Judiciary Committee held SB 982 (Wiener), a deeply flawed proposal that would have driven up costs, destabilized California’s fuel market and made life even harder for families already struggling under the state’s affordability crisis:
Coalition Warns SB 982 Would Drive Up Energy Costs for Californians
Media Contact:
Nick Mirman
nick@cmpublicaffairs.com
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (March 11, 2026) — A coalition of more than two dozen California business, taxpayer and industry organizations today submitted a letter to state lawmakers opposing SB 982 (Wiener), warning that the proposal would drastically increase energy and household costs for consumers and unleash speculative climate litigation.
Civil Justice Association of California Announces 2026 “Civil Justice Gavel” Recipients
Assemblymember Cottie Petrie-Norris and Senator Suzette Martinez Valladares Recognized as Leaders in Legal Reform
Media Contact:
Nick Mirman
nick@cmpublicaffairs.com
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (February 26, 2026) — Today, the Civil Justice Association of California (CJAC) announced that Assemblymember Cottie Petrie-Norris (D-Irvine) and Senator Suzette Martinez Valladares (R-Santa Clarita) have been named the recipients of the Civil Justice Gavel.
CJAC awards the Civil Justice Gavel to one Democrat and one Republican legislator each year. Award recipients have displayed exceptional leadership in promoting a fair, balanced civil justice system in California.
CJAC Statement on Whistleblower Bounty Hunter Bill
Media Contact:
Nick Mirman
nick@cmpublicaffairs.com
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (February 24, 2026) — The Civil Justice Association of California’s President and CEO Jaime Huff today released the following statement regarding Assemblymember Pilar Schiavo’s introduction of AB 2021, the Whistleblower Bounty Hunter bill:
California can’t afford to turn AI into the next lawsuit gold rush
Capitol Weekly - February 24, 2026
Capitol Weekly Version posted here
By Jaime Huff
OPINION – At a time when California’s budget is strained and lawmakers are scrambling to close deficits, one sector is very obviously doing the heavy lifting for the state’s economy: artificial intelligence.
California’s lawsuit loansharks: When hedge funds profit from trauma
Los Angeles Daily News - January 31, 2026
Los Angeles Daily News version posted here
By Jaime Huff
California rightly prides itself on standing up for victims of abuse and holding wrongdoers accountable. But a troubling trend threatens to undermine those goals, turning deeply personal trauma into a tradeable commodity and profit opportunity for hedge funds and Wall Street investors.
CJAC Statement on Report Showing Californians Pay $2,500 in Annual “Lawsuit Tax”
Media Contact:
Nick Mirman
nick@cmpublicaffairs.com
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (December 9, 2025) — Jaime Huff, President and CEO of the Civil Justice Association of California, today released the following statement regarding a report showing that lawsuit abuse costs the average Californian $2,458 per year:
Jaime Huff Named President & CEO of the Civil Justice Association of California
Media Contact:
Nick Mirman
nick@cmpublicaffairs.com
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (November 13, 2025) — The Civil Justice Association of California (CJAC) today announced the appointment of Jaime Huff as its next President and Chief Executive Officer, effective December 1, 2025.
Community Voices: Billboard lawyers win, everybody else loses
The Bakersfield Californian - October 7, 2025
Bakersfield Californian version posted here
By Kyla Christoffersen Powell
If you’ve driven down any Central Valley freeway, you’ve seen the faces. The bright colors. The smiling lawyers looming from giant billboards, promising huge payouts and “justice” if you just call their number. These trial attorneys don’t work for free — they work for fees.
CJAC Calls on Governor Newsom to Veto Anti-Arbitration Bill
Media Contact:
Nick Mirman
nick@cmpublicaffairs.com
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (September 24, 2025) — The Civil Justice Association of California (CJAC) today called on Governor Gavin Newsom to veto SB 82 (Umberg), a bill that would severely limit the use of arbitration in California.
CJAC warned that SB 82 is almost certainly preempted by the Federal Arbitration Act (FAA), meaning it will invite costly and unnecessary litigation against the state.
Opinion: California’s small businesses need protection — not legal shakedowns
San Jose Mercury News - July 14, 2025
Mercury News published version posted here
By Aaron Hichman
California may have the fourth largest economy in the world, but our small businesses are struggling. It’s not just the high taxes and regulatory hoops we need to jump through to be entrepreneurs, it’s also the high risk of being shaken down by trial attorneys looking to make a quick buck.
AB 1264: A Legal Quagmire Masquerading as School Nutrition Reform
Daily Journal - July 3, 2025
Daily Journal published version posted here
By Kyla Christoffersen Powell
As California works to improve student nutrition and educational outcomes, legislation moving through Sacramento must be rooted in science, pragmatism and legal clarity. Assembly Bill 1264, authored by Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel, fails to meet those standards.
Shadowy foreign financial interests are profiting off our legal system
Capitol Weekly - May 16, 2025
Capitol Weekly published version posted here
By Michelle Rodriguez
OPINION – A loophole in federal and state financial laws allow for sanctioned Russian oligarchs and Vladimir Putin allies to make money off lawsuits filed in our court system.
Through a little known and understood investment instrument called “lawsuit financing,” foreign actors are manipulating our legal system for massive profits.
SB 222 is too risky for consumers
Capitol Weekly - April 2, 2025
Capitol Weekly published version posted here
By Kyla Christoffersen Powell
OPINION – California’s insurance market is at a crossroads. With massive increases in disaster costs and a regulatory environment that does not readily allow carriers to increase rates to match the risk involved in insuring massive portions of our state, it is clear that something needs to change to fix a broken insurance market.
CJAC Asks DOJ to Release Cost Figures for Defending Preempted Arbitration Law
Media Contact:
Nick Mirman
nick@cmpublicaffairs.com
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (May 7, 2025) — Today, the Civil Justice Association of California (CJAC) announced that it has submitted a Public Records Act request with California’s Department of Justice to uncover the amount of taxpayer dollars that were spent to unsuccessfully defend a federally-preempted arbitration law in court. CJAC is renewing its request in light of a new legislative proposal, SB 82 (Umberg), that is likely also federally preempted.
Senate Revenue and Taxation Committee Rejects Shakedown Lawsuit Bill
Media Contact:
Nick Mirman
nick@cmpublicaffairs.com
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (April 23, 2025) — Today, Kyla Christoffersen Powell, President and CEO of the Civil Justice Association of California (CJAC), and Robert Gutierrez, President and CEO of the California Taxpayers Association (CalTax), released the following statement after SB 799 (Allen) failed to pass in the Senate Revenue and Taxation Committee:
CJAC Statement on Senate Judiciary Committee Voting Down SB 222
Media Contact:
Nick Mirman
nick@cmpublicaffairs.com
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (April 8, 2025) — Today, Kyla Christoffersen Powell, President and CEO of the Civil Justice Association of California (CJAC), released the following statement after SB 222 (Wiener) failed to pass in the Senate Judiciary Committee:
Civil Justice Association of California Announces 2025 “Civil Justice Gavel” Recipients
Assemblymembers Blanca Pacheco and Diane Dixon Recognized as Leaders in Legal Reform
Media Contact:
Nick Mirman
nick@cmpublicaffairs.com
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (March 10, 2025) — Today, the Civil Justice Association of California (CJAC) announced that Assemblymember Blanca Pacheco (D-Downey) and Assemblymember Diane Dixon (R-Newport Beach) have been named the recipients of the Civil Justice Gavel.
CJAC awards the Civil Justice Gavel to one Democrat and one Republican legislator each year. Award recipients have displayed exceptional leadership in promoting a fair, balanced civil justice system in California.
Less distraction, more rebuilding: Sen. Wiener’s Senate Bill 222 is a waste of time
LA Daily News - March 10, 2025
LA Daily News published version posted here
By Peter Kwong
As Los Angeles burned in early January, my heart broke for the thousands of Angelenos who lost their homes and their most cherished possessions.
After processing the shock of the natural disaster, I wondered how we were ever going to rebuild with potentially tens of billions of dollars in damage to our communities.
California Climate Lawsuit Bill Is Constitutionally Flawed
Law360 - March 5, 2025
Capitol Weekly published version posted here
By Kyla Christoffersen Powell
At the end of January, in response to the devastating Los Angeles wildfires, California State Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, introduced a bill in the California Legislature that proposes to remedy the harms caused by fires, floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, tsunamis and other climate disasters with lawsuits against oil and gas producers.
SB 1047: ‘safe & secure’ really means ‘see you in court’
Capitol Weekly - August 16, 2024
Capitol Weekly published version posted here
By Kyla Christoffersen Powell
OPINION – In May of this year, Governor Newsom warned, “If we over-regulate, if we overindulge, if we chase the shiny object, we could put ourselves in a perilous position.”
California’s Lemon Law: A sweet deal for lawyers, sour for consumers
Los Angeles Daily News - July 17, 2024
Los Angeles Daily News published version here
By Kyla Christoffersen Powell
In 2023, ‘lemon law’ lawsuits for defective automobiles surged in California at an alarming rate, with 22,655 cases filed statewide. These cases represented a staggering 52% increase from the previous year. According to statistics gathered by the law firm Bowman and Brooke, 2024 is on track to be another record-breaking year for these types of lawsuits.
Striking a Balance: CJAC’s Pursuit of Fair Laws for Business and Disability Access
The Valley Economic Alliance - February 20, 2024
The Valley Economic Alliance published version here
By Jaime Huff
State and federal disability laws play a crucial role in ensuring equal access to public spaces for individuals with disabilities. Unfortunately, small and minority-owned businesses in California have long been burdened with frivolous lawsuits that exploit these laws.
Civil Justice Association of California Announces 2024 “Civil Justice Gavel” Recipients
Senator Anna Caballero and Senator Roger Niello Recognized as Leaders in Legal Reform
Media Contact:
press@cjac.org
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (February 12, 2024) — The Civil Justice Association of California (CJAC) is pleased to announce that Senator Roger Niello (R-6) and Senator Anna Caballero (D-14) are this year’s Civil Justice Gavel recipients.
Each year, CJAC awards the Civil Justice Gavel to one Democrat and one Republican legislator who display exceptional leadership in promoting a fair, balanced civil justice system in California.
Opinion: ADA Lawsuit Reforms Are Long Overdue for California’s Small Businesses
Times of San Diego - May 31, 2023
Times of San Diego published version here
By Kyla Christoffersen Powell
May was small business month, an annual reminder that California small businesses need our leaders’ help.
Reject legislation that will increase costs, clog our courts, and enrich plaintiffs’ lawyers
Los Angeles Daily News - July 4, 2023
Los Angeles Daily News published version here
By Kyla Christoffersen Powell
Plaintiffs’ lawyers are at it again. They are pushing for policies that will further drive up the cost of doing business in California and saddle our over-burdened courts with more unnecessary litigation. It should be no surprise these policies will make lawyers richer.
All Californians win with a fair and balanced justice system
Capitol Weekly-April 25, 2023
Capitol Weekly published version here
By Kyla Christoffersen Powell
OPINION – As the state of California grapples with a multibillion-dollar revenue shortfall and unsustainable budgetary demands in the coming years, it’s a good time to remind policymakers and voters that businesses are a critical partner to the fiscal health of this state.
Sen. Jones and Asm. Grayson Receive 2023 Civil Justice Gavels
Senator Jones and Assemblymember Grayson Recognized as Champions of Legal Reform
Civil Justice Association of California Announces 2023 Civil Justice Gavel Award Recipients
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (February 22, 2023)—The Civil Justice Association of California (CJAC) is pleased to announce that Senator Brian Jones (R-40) and Assemblymember Tim Grayson (D-15) are this year’s Civil Justice Gavel recipients.
Each year, CJAC awards the Civil Justice Gavel to one Democrat and one Republican legislator who display extraordinary leadership in promoting a fair, balanced civil justice system in California.