ATRA LETTER IN WALL STREET JOURNAL PRESSED CONGRESS TO INVESTIGATE TRIAL LAWYER MISCONDUCT

Group Clarifies Distinction Between Ballplayers and Plaintiffs' Lawyers

Washington, DC, April 09, 2009 -- The American Tort Reform Association today issued the following statement of clarification:

"ATRA is pleased that the Wall Street Journal ran a letter to the editor today by Director of Communications Darren McKinney about a topic that ATRA has been highlighting for months: the failure of Congress to devote any time to investigating the personal injury bar even after three leading members of that bar pleaded guilty to criminal offenses stemming from their conduct in litigation.

"With baseball season having just begun, the letter made light of the fact that Congress has held extensive hearings about the conduct of leading Major League Baseball players and allegations about the conduct of these players – none of whom has ever been convicted of any crimes arising from their conduct as big league ballplayers. By contrast, Congress has not seen fit to examine the practices of the personal injury bar despite the guilty pleas of three of their once dominant practitioners.

"We note the distinction between multiple ballplayers who are alleged to have violated the rules of a game being the subject of extensive investigations by Congress and lawyers who have engaged in criminal activity escaping congressional investigations completely. With more attention to this double standard, we hope that the Congress will do what is long overdue with respect to the plaintiffs' bar: act.

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The American Tort Reform Association (ATRA) is the only national organization dedicated exclusively to tort and liability reform through public education and the enactment of legislation. ATRA's membership includes non profits, small and large companies, as well as state and national trade, business, and professional associations.