Legal Services Advertising Spending – California – Quarters 1-2, 2022

California|2022

January-June 2022

[…]

In the first half of 2022, it is estimated that $34 million were spent to air approximately 250,000 television ads for local legal services or soliciting legal claims in California’s top three media markets – Los Angeles, San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose, and Sacramento-Stockton-Modesto.

An analysis and discussion of the legal services advertising volume and spending in California follows.

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The Hidden Money Behind the Litigation: The Problematic Expansion of Third Party Litigation Funding

|2022

Third party litigation funding (TPLF) is the practice of investors

[…]

Third party litigation funding (TPLF) is the practice of investors buying an interest in the outcome of a lawsuit. It has quickly become a multi-billion dollar industry. TPLF comes in several forms that present distinct issues and require different solutions, but they share three commonalities:

  • The funder has a financial interest in the ultimate resolution of the lawsuit.
  • The involvement of an outside funder raises ethical issues, such as who is driving or influencing the litigation, directly or indirectly.
  • The presence of an outside funder, and its entitlement to a portion of a plaintiff’s recovery, can complicate the ability to fairly resolve disputes and drive up settlements and awards.

This paper focuses on three forms of TPLF:

  • “Big-ticket” lawsuit lending;
  • “Fast-cash” lawsuit lending; and,
  • “Letters of protection.”

The paper further focuses on relevant ethics rules and laws as well as potential solutions.


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Attorneys General for Hire: A Disturbing Usurpation of Traditional State Police Powers By Private Political Activists

This article discusses the rapidly growing climate change litigation brought

[…]

This article discusses the rapidly growing climate change litigation brought by the state attorneys general and local governments in concert with plaintiffs’ firms, often with the aid of privately funded special assistant attorneys general. It explains their legal tactics and theories, describes the counterarguments being made by the energy companies, and provides a summary of the most important court decisions to date.


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From Legal Scholarship to Legal Advocacy: The Evolving Role of the American Law Institute in State Court Jurisprudence

|2022

Several years ago, the American Tort Reform Association (ATRA) began

[…]

Several years ago, the American Tort Reform Association (ATRA) began to take note of a disturbing new trend; the once-esteemed American Law Institute (ALI) was evolving its role. No longer was it content to serve as an educational resource to state courts and the legal profession—rather it has begun to move into a new advocacy role outlining what the law should become.

This short paper outlines and highlights the adverse impact of this new ALI role on state court jurisprudence. The late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia noted that the authors of the ALI’s flagship publications – its restatements – have, “abandoned the mission of describing the law and have chosen instead to set forth their aspirations for what the law ought to be.”

Here we outline the ALI’s agenda and highlight how the ALI’s new advocacy agenda threatens ATRA’s goal of a fair, equitable and predictable civil justice system.


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The National Association of Attorneys General

|2022

A Nonprofit That Acts Like a Plaintiffs’ Firm

[…]

Executive Summary

The National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) was founded in 1907 as a nominally independent association as a way for state AGs to coordinate shared antitrust cases.[1] Historically, the Association has played an influential role in managing multistate investigations and lawsuits. Over time, however, NAAG’s focus has shifted from promoting efficiency and coordination to instead promoting entrepreneurial litigation targeting a variety of industries – similar to the mission of the mass torts plaintiffs’ bar.

NAAG has had a significant role in some of the most prominent mass tort litigation over the past few decades. Its targets have included manufacturers of tobacco, and most recently, opioids. The Association fully participates in settlements reached in multistate lawsuits, just as individual states and their for-profit, contingency-fee counsel participate. Interestingly, this places what once was an independent association in a situation in which it now has profit as a main motive to help initiate and settle litigation, just as the trial bar does.

For example, in March 2021, NAAG received $15 million as part of McKinsey’s $600 million settlement for the company’s role in marketing opioid prescriptions.[2] NAAG also received $103 million that grew to $140 million from the landmark Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement.[3]

NAAG essentially acts as a self-sustaining litigation machine, mainly funded by two revenue sources: yearly dues from state attorneys general of approximately $70,000 per state, per year[4]; and carveouts from multistate litigation settlements.

NAAG’s programs, operated through these funds, seem to be tailored specifically to promote litigation against business – attorneys in state AGs’ offices are trained under NAAG programming to bring more cases against other industries.[5] These training sessions are designed to help AGs be more effective in litigation. NAAG’s targeted training and support of state AGs offices is similar to that of other activist groups looking to influence and promote litigation in AG offices. For example, the Bloomberg-funded State Energy & Environmental Impact Center at New York University School of Law is designed to further litigation by placing lawyers funded by the Center in the offices of friendly attorneys general across the country, empowering them to bring climate change litigation. However, outside influence, whether it be from NAAG or other activist organizations, creates a concerning lack of accountability and transparency in state attorneys’ general offices.

To promote coordinated mass tort litigation, NAAG members also participate in working groups that focus on potential multi-state lawsuits. Their activities include information sharing agreements between state AG offices as well as monthly phone calls to discuss ongoing investigation. NAAG then offers lead states the opportunity to recruit other states to join specific litigation.

Additionally, plaintiffs’ lawyers often hold training sessions at NAAG conferences in which they discuss best practices for pursuing mass torts. It is an excellent business development opportunity for these plaintiffs’ lawyers because many of them will later look to be hired on a contingency-fee basis once the AGs initiate lawsuits.

In the early stages of litigation, NAAG provides grants to the states to help litigation get off the ground. Currently, NAAG has more than $200 million in assets. States receive grants to fund research and other expenses needed to determine participation in a multistate lawsuit. Any state seeking NAAG funding must submit a detailed memo outlining their legal strategy, expenses, and predicted results. States are required to repay the grant if there is a settlement regardless of whether the settlement terms stipulate reimbursement to NAAG.[6]

Utilizing this sort of funding source for litigation allows AGs to avoid using state-appropriated funds – or having to go to the legislature for more funds. This funding side-step weakens potential checks and balances a legislature may want to exercise in these situations.

NAAG continues to find new targets, from the tobacco litigation of the 1990s to the opioid lawsuits of today. While the opioid lawsuits begin to wind down, NAAG is now forming working groups on climate change and environmental issues like PFAS, eyeing a new generation of potential mass tort lawsuits.[7] Given the new NAAG focus on mass tort profit motive, it’s only a matter of time until they move into new areas of focus.

The following report provides additional information about the innerworkings of NAAG along with supporting background and research.

 

[1] Rachel M. Cohen, “The Hour Of The Attorneys General,” The American Prospect, Spring 2017.

[2] O.H. Skinner, “Payouts To Victims, Not Special-Interest Groups,” Washington Times, 3/3/21; https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2021/mar/2/payouts-victims-not-special-interest-groups/.

[3] Daniel Fisher, “The House Tobacco Built,” Forbes, 8/14/08.

[4] Sean Ross, “Alabama Becomes First State To Leave National Association Of Attorneys General — ‘Going Further And Further Left’,” Yellowhammer News, 4/26/21.

[5] “Events & Training,” National Association Of Attorneys General, Accessed 1/27/22.

[6] “Janssen Settlement Agreement,” Office Of The Texas Comptroller, 7/21/21.

[7] “Clean Energy Issues Are On The Docket For State Attorneys General,” New York University, 10/3/19.



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Legal Services Advertising Spending – 2017-2021

Nationwide Report of Legal Services Advertising Across the U.S.

[…]

In 2021, it is estimated that more than $971.6 million were spent on more than 15.1 million television ads for local legal services or soliciting legal claims across the United States. When compared with the same time period in 2020, spending on these ads increased more than 11% while the quantity of ads increased more than 9%. Much of this advertising is conducted by aggregators: businesses that recruit potential plaintiffs and then sell their information to law firms.

The following report includes data from nearly every U.S. state and the District of Columbia. The data included are estimates based on best available data in early 2022, thus not all 2021 data may be fully accounted for, and that is noted where applicable.

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Legal Services Advertising Spending – California, Florida, Missouri, New York, Pennsylvania – 2016-2021

California|2016

From 2016 to 2020, spending on local legal services television

[…]

From 2016 to 2020, spending on local legal services television advertisements across the United States has increased 19.31%. Estimated total spending in 2016 was $732,845,167. In 2020, that number jumped to $874,394,062. The quantity of local legal services television advertisements aired across the U.S. also has increased 37.24% In 2016, an estimated 10,093,175 ads aired. In 2020, an estimated 13,851,936 ads aired. In the first five months of 2021 alone, it is estimated that more than $368.6 million were spent on more than 6.3 million television ads for local legal services or soliciting legal claims across the United States.

An analysis and discussion of the legal services advertising volume and spending in California, Florida, Missouri, New York, and Pennsylvania follows.

 

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Legal Services Advertising Spending – Illinois – Quarter 1, 2021

Illinois

January-March, 2021

[…]

In the 1st Quarter of 2021, $232 million was spent on 3,853,813 advertisements for legal services and/or soliciting legal claims aired on local broadcast networks in the 210 local media markets across the United States. Illinois accounted for approximately 3% of all spending with more than $7 million spent in the state. Illinois also accounted for more than 1.5% of all local legal services TV ads that aired in the country during that quarter with 60,927 ads.

An analysis and discussion of the legal services advertising volume and spending in Illinois follows.

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Local Legal Services Advertising Spending – Louisiana – Quarter 4, 2020

Louisiana

October-December, 2020

[…]

In the 4th Quarter of 2020 alone, it is estimated that more than $237 million were spent on more than 3.1 million ads for local legal services or soliciting legal claims across the United States. In the 4th Quarter of 2020, $12.359 million were spent on advertisements for legal services and/or soliciting legal claims in Louisiana. A vast majority (77%) of that spending went toward television advertisements, while outdoor advertisements such as billboards accounted for just under 22%. Radio accounted for a mere 0.41% of local legal services advertising spending.

An analysis and discussion of the legal services advertising volume and spending in Louisiana follows.

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Deal Or No Deal? Why States Are And Should Continue Rejecting The Federal Mandate On State False Claims Acts

States have been debating the merits of enacting new state

[…]

States have been debating the merits of enacting new state False Claims Acts (FCAs), or broadening existing ones, largely in response to a federal mandate included in the 2005 federal Deficit Reduction Act. The 2005 mandate dictates that to have a federally qualified FCA, the state must have a whistleblower provision targeted at Medicaid-related fraud that is at least as generous to whistleblowers as the federal civil FCA, which gives the whistleblowers up to 30% of recoveries. If a state enacts such a false claims act, the federal government will give states 10% more of the awards in cases brought under those laws.

A few states quickly passed laws to meet these standards, but most have taken a more careful and cautious look. These states want to know if the federal “deal” is worth it, both financially and in their ability to fight and deter fraud. To date, most states have not adopted these changes. This paper explains why this decision is sound from the perspectives of both economics and public policy.

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COVID-19 Legal Services Television Advertising

Alabama|2021

National and Select State Data

[…]

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Trial lawyers and aggregators increasingly spend large sums of money on television, digital, and print advertising to recruit new clients for class actions targeting a variety of industries. As the COVID-19 pandemic reached the United States, entrepreneurial personal injury lawyers saw yet another opportunity to profit off of a national crisis.

Early on, a coalition of national law firms specializing in mass tort litigation formed a “Coronavirus Litigation Task Force” to identify targets and theories for litigation. Law firm websites sprung up, inviting people to blame their illness or family member’s death on someone rather than on the virus. Some websites provide a roadmap for suing for contracting COVID-19 at work. Others attempt to prompt lawsuits against nursing homes or others. One website, “Top Class Actions,” uses that familiar language often heard on billboards and late-night TV ads: “If you believe that your rights were violated by a company as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, you may be entitled to compensation.” 

From March through December of 2020, 176,053 advertisements for legal services and/or soliciting legal claims mentioning COVID-19 or coronavirus aired in the United States at an estimated cost of $34.4 million. As of February 1, 2021, 8,200 lawsuits related to COVID-19 have been filed in the United States.

Thus far, COVID-19 exposure lawsuits have primarily targeted those that have experienced outbreaks, such as cruise ships (including those who did not become ill) and nursing homes. Lawsuits filed by employees of retailers, meat processing plants, supermarkets, and healthcare providers are also mounting. In addition, some plaintiffs’ lawyers have filed class actions alleging that the business’s operation – a fast-food restaurant, golf course, office building, or shipping facility – poses a risk of transmitting COVID-19 and is a public nuisance. As doors open and operations move back toward “normal,” more lawsuits are likely to target schools, daycare centers, offices, stores, factories, and others. 

The following study by the American Tort Reform Association shows the trial bar’s intention to profit off of the pandemic. Plaintiffs’ lawyers have spent millions of dollars on COVID-19 related advertising across the country and will continue to do so.  The data shows just how important it is for state legislatures to seek legislative solutions to support health care providers, businesses, and their employees who have been on the frontlines, responding to the pandemic. To date, 21 states and the District of Columbia have enacted some level of COVID-19 liability protections.

Recent polling shows broad bipartisan support for elected officials to respond to pandemic-related issues – rather than trial lawyers filing lawsuits to address such concerns. Key findings show 74% of respondents said the government should support small businesses affected by COVID-19 with grants or loans, versus 6% who said lawyers should help small businesses pursue legal claims instead. 

Despite the lack of public support for COVID-19 litigation, law firms advertised regardless. An analysis by the Wall Street Journal found that dozens of top law firms received millions in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans. Some firms spent those dollars to increase their advertising, including U.S. powerhouse personal injury law firm, Morgan & Morgan. This report shows Morgan & Morgan as the top sponsor for COVID-19 legal services TV ads from March through December, airing approximately 70,000 ads at a cost of $10.5 million.

 


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COVID-19 Polling – December 2020

|2020

December 2020 COVID-19 polling related to legal advertisements and COVID-19 relief.

[…]

Key Findings: 

  • Majorities across both parties maintain that elected officials should respond to the pandemic, rather than trial lawyers. 59% say those harmed by the pandemic should get assistance from policies passed by elected officials, versus just 7% who say they should get payouts from lawsuits: this is consistent from October when 63% favored assistance through policy versus 9% who favored payouts from lawsuits.
  • Messaging on small business receives an even stronger response: 74% say small businesses affected by COVID-19 should be supported by government grants or loans versus 6% who say lawyers should help small businesses pursue legal claims.
  • 48% of voters agree law firms using PPP funds for lawsuit advertising is inappropriate compared to 26% who say this is appropriate. This trend holds from October when 62% called lawsuit advertising inappropriate and 24% considered this appropriate; the discrepancy in those who call advertising inappropriate was driven by a greater proportion of Unsure respondents.
  • The proportion of voters who say trial lawyer advertisements are annoying and take advantage of people is virtually unchanged from October: 65% said advertisements are annoying and take advantage of people in December, and 66% said the same in October.

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COVID-19 Polling – October 2020

|2020

October 2020 Omnibus Polling

[…]

Key Takeaways:

  1. When it comes to COVID-19 relief, Americans strongly favor government assistance over the legal actions of trial lawyers.
    • Less than one-in-10 respondents (9%) believe that trial attorneys filing lawsuits is a better approach to dealing with COVID-19 than government assistance policies.
    • A solid majority—63% of those surveyed—stated government assistance policies were preferable.
  2. America’s preference for government assistance over the actions of trial lawyers is even more pronounced when it comes to small businesses.
    • Just 7% of respondents stated that lawyers encouraging small business to pursue legal claims is preferable to the government providing grants or loans.
    • An overwhelming majority—78%—stated government-provided small business loans and grants were preferable.
  3. Americans dislike the trial lawyers’ television advertisements and view the use of PPP loans on them as inappropriate.
    • Two-thirds of respondents (66%) agreed with the notion that trial lawyer TV ads took advantage of people and were annoying.
    • Less than a quarter (24%) of those surveyed believed trial lawyers’ use of PPP loans on television advertisements was an appropriate use of funds.

 

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Responding to the Coming Lawsuit Surge: Policy Prescriptions for Addressing COVID-19 Tort Litigation

|2020

This white paper explores tort liability concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic and considers potential solutions.

[…]

Each day, thousands of people in the United States are contracting coronavirus. The virus is devastating families, stretching the ability of health care providers to help those who become sick, and crippling businesses and the economy. Manufacturers have ramped up production of medical supplies and protective equipment and are investigating treatment options and developing vaccines.

Some personal injury lawyers, however, view individuals exposed to COVID-19 as a large new pool of plaintiffs, and health care providers and businesses that aid in the response effort or provide essential services as defendants to cast blame. Personal injury law firms are already recruiting individuals to “sue now” even if they have not contracted the disease. The first lawsuits targeting health care providers, employers, retailers and other businesses for COVID-related injuries have been filed. Many more are to come.

States should proactively adopt legislation that distinguishes legitimate claims from no-injury lawsuits. States can place reasonable constraints on the types of lawsuits that pose an obstacle to the coronavirus response effort, place businesses in jeopardy, and further damage the economy.

ATRA applauds the nation’s governors who have stepped up to address liability concerns stemming from COVID-19. These executive orders generally rely on the governor’s authority under each state’s emergency powers statute to modify or suspend enforcement of state laws that pose an obstacle to the state’s ability to respond to a crisis. The risk is that this type of executive action has not been tested in court. Plaintiffs’ lawyers are certain to challenge the governors’ authority to provide this liability protection through use of emergency powers.

This paper explores tort liability concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic and considers potential solutions.

ATRA COVID-19 White Paper


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The Plaintiffs’ Lawyer Quest for the Holy Grail

|2020

The Public Nuisance “Super Tort”

[…]

 

One can only imagine the scene inside the plaintiffs’ lawyers’ R&D laboratory for expansive liability theories when they created today’s public nuisance litigation: “Let’s come up with a way to sue manufacturers without having to prove product liability,” said one personal injury lawyer. “Wouldn’t it be great if this new legal theory did not even require us to prove fault,” added another. “I know, let’s get rid of causation too! And, while we’re at it, let’s figure out how to bring these new lawsuits on behalf of a whole bunch of people without having to deal with those pesky class action rules.”

Mix a little bit of this and a little bit of that, and bam! A “Super Tort” is born.

That is today’s public nuisance litigation in a nutshell. It is completely unprincipled and a far departure from any long-standing liability law. Under tort law, including under public nuisance theory, a person or company is supposed to be subject to liability only for wrongfully causing harm. In today’s public nuisance lawsuits, though, plaintiffs’ lawyers are attempting to convince judges to discard this basic principle. These lawsuits are attempts to subject businesses to liability over societal problems—regardless of fault, how the harm developed or was caused, whether the elements of the tort are met, or even if the liability will actually address the issue. Their mantra is, “Let’s make ‘Big Business’ pay.”

This report explores several high-profile public nuisance lawsuits being waged in courtrooms around the country today. It explains what public nuisance theory is, how it has long been used, and how plaintiffs’ lawyers are trying to re-engineer it into their Super Tort. What we find is that plaintiffs’ lawyers typically look for a crisis that people want to solve. This can be a hot-button political issue like climate change, a widespread social harm like opioid addiction, or an environmental concern such as contamination in a local waterway. Then, they look to represent a local or state government so they can sue on behalf of an entire community without abiding by class action rules. The lawyers offer to do this for “free,” agreeing to be paid only from money the lawsuits generate.

For elected officials, signing up for this litigation is enticing. They get to tell their constituents that they are trying to solve a local, national, or even international problem and it isn’t going to cost them anything. Who doesn’t want free money? Then, the government-deputized contingency-fee lawyers target businesses—often large, faceless, out-of-state companies—that they can vilify in the media and blame for the problem because their products are associated with the crisis. It doesn’t matter whether the companies actually caused the crisis or are legally responsible for it. In fact, they often sue entire industries to cast blame in broad strokes in an effort to get away from having to prove specific allegations against specific companies.

Those who bring today’s novel brand of public nuisance lawsuits gamble that (1) local judges, who often are elected, will want to be seen as trying to solve a problem for the community and will facilitate the recoveries despite traditional tort law, or (2) the targeted businesses will buckle under the pressure of the media and litigation onslaught and settle the claims just to end the nightmare, regardless of the truth or justice.

The truth is that public nuisance theory is not and should not become a “Super Tort” for making businesses pay for any and all crises. As the next section shows, it is a centuries-old tort with a highly specific purpose, namely to deal with local disturbances like vagrancy. It also does not permit either this Cuisinart-style of liability, where everyone in an industry is blended together, or strict liability for manufacturers merely because their products are associated with a downstream harm.

These crises do need to be solved, but they should be solved the right way. That is why today’s expansive public nuisance litigation should concern us all.

Read the full report: The Plaintiffs’ Lawyer Quest for the Holy Grail: The Public Nuisance “Super Tort”


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Local Legal Services Advertising Spending – West Virginia – Quarter 3, 2019

West Virginia|2019

In the third quarter of 2019, from July through September,

[…]

In the third quarter of 2019, from July through September, nearly 3.7 million advertisements for legal services and/or soliciting legal claims aired on local broadcast networks in the 210 local media markets across the United States. It is estimated that more than one quarter of one billion dollars was spent on airing these ads. An analysis and discussion of the legal services advertising volume and spending in West Virginia follows.

In two West Virginia media markets in the 3rd quarter of 2019 – from July through September – television advertisers for legal services sponsored a daily average of nearly 60 ads in Clarksburg and nearly 360 ads in Charleston at a total estimated cost of nearly $1.5 million.


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Local Legal Services Advertising Spending – Florida – Quarter 3, 2019

Florida|2019

In the third quarter of 2019, from July through September,

[…]

In the third quarter of 2019, from July through September, nearly 3.7 million advertisements for legal services and/or soliciting legal claims aired on local broadcast networks in the 210 local media markets across the United States. It is estimated that more than one quarter of one billion dollars was spent on airing these ads. An analysis and discussion of the legal services advertising volume and spending in Florida follows.

Florida is the third most populous state in the nation and Tampa-St. Petersburg and Miami-Ft. Lauderdale are the largest media markets in the state. They are also among the Top 20 markets by size in the country ranking as No. 12 and No. 16 with 1.8 million and 1.6 million television households each.

 


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Local Legal Services Advertising Spending – Georgia– Quarter 3, 2019

Georgia|2019

In the third quarter of 2019, from July through September,

[…]

In the third quarter of 2019, from July through September, nearly 3.7 million advertisements for legal services and/or soliciting legal claims aired on local broadcast networks in the 210 local media markets across the United States. It is estimated that more than one quarter of one billion dollars was spent on airing these ads. An analysis and discussion of the legal services advertising volume and spending in Georgia follows.

Atlanta and Savannah, the two largest media markets in Georgia and the 10th and 89th largest in the country, also saw heavy local legal services TV advertising in the third quarter of 2019.


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Local Legal Services Advertising Spending – Philadelphia – Quarters 1-2, 2019

Pennsylvania|2019

In the first half of 2019, from January through June,

[…]

In the first half of 2019, from January through June, approximately 6.9 million advertisements for legal services and/or soliciting legal claims aired on local broadcast networks in the 210 local media markets across the United States at an estimated cost of $422 million. An analysis and discussion of the legal services advertising volume and spending in Philadelphia follows.

With nearly 13 million residents, Pennsylvania is the fifth most populous state in the nation and its largest city, Philadelphia, encompasses the fourth-largest media market in the country with 2.8 million homes with televisions.


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Local Legal Services Advertising Spending – Louisiana – Quarters 3-4, 2018

Louisiana|2019

With 4.7 million residents, Louisiana is the 25th most populous

[…]

With 4.7 million residents, Louisiana is the 25th most populous state in the nation, and its three largest media markets include New Orleans, Shreveport, and Baton Rouge. Louisiana’s largest market, New Orleans, ranks 50th in the nation with an estimated 624,000 television-viewing households. Shreveport, ranked 90th, includes slightly fewer than 323,000 television-viewing households while the Baton Rouge media market ranks 97th in the nation with more than 287,000 television-viewing households.

In the second half of 2018, a legal services ad aired every minute on average in local broadcast networks across these three Louisiana media markets. From July to December, viewers in New Orleans, Shreveport and Baton Rouge were exposed to 251,116 of these advertisements purchased at an estimated cost of $15.6 million.

An analysis and discussion of the legal services advertising volumes and spending in these markets follows.


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Local Legal Services Advertising Spending – Texas – Quarter 4, 2018

Texas|2019

Texas is the second-most populous state in the nation and

[…]

Texas is the second-most populous state in the nation and its four largest media markets include Dallas-Ft. Worth, Houston, San Antonio, and Austin. Dallas-Ft. Worth and Houston are the fifth and the seventh largest media markets in the U.S., with 2.6 million and 2.4 million respective television households. San Antonio, the third largest media market in Texas, is the 31st largest media market in the country, with 900,000 television households. The 4th largest Texas market, Austin, ranks 40th in the nation with just under 752,000 television households. An analysis and discussion of the legal services advertising volumes and spending in these markets follows.


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Local Legal Services Advertising Spending – Kentucky – Quarters 2-3, 2018

Kentucky|2019

In the second and third quarters of 2018, from April

[…]

In the second and third quarters of 2018, from April through September, nearly 6 million advertisements for legal services and/or soliciting legal claims aired on local broadcast networks in the 210 local media markets across the United States. It is estimated that $412 million were spent purchasing these ads. Eight percent of the locally broadcasted legal services ads during this six month period aired in seven media markets in three states across the United States. These markets – Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio, Texas; New Orleans and Shreveport, Louisiana; and Lexington and Louisville, Kentucky – also accounted for nine percent of all local legal services television advertising spending during this time period. An analysis and discussion of the legal services advertising volumes in the Kentucky markets follows.


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Local Legal Services Advertising Spending – Texas – Quarters 2-3, 2018

Texas|2019

In the second and third quarters of 2018, from April

[…]

In the second and third quarters of 2018, from April through September, nearly 6 million advertisements for legal services and/or soliciting legal claims aired on local broadcast networks in the 210 local media markets across the United States. It is estimated that $412 million were spent purchasing these ads. Eight percent of the locally broadcasted legal services ads during this six month period aired in seven media markets in three states across the United States. An analysis and discussion of the legal services advertising volumes in the Texas markets follows.


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Local Legal Services Advertising Spending – West Virginia – Quarters 1-3, 2018

West Virginia|2019

In the first, second, and third quarters of 2018 –

[…]

In the first, second, and third quarters of 2018 – from January through September – nearly 90,000 advertisements for legal services or advertisements soliciting legal claims aired on local broadcast networks in two of the largest media markets in West Virginia at an estimated cost of $3.9 million.[1] An analysis and discussion of the legal services advertising in these markets – Charleston and Clarksburg, West Virginia – follows.


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Local Legal Services Advertising Spending – Quarter 3, 2018

|2019

This study looks at seven media markets and dissects trial

[…]

This study looks at seven media markets and dissects trial lawyers’ spending on legal services ads in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Tampa-St. Petersburg, Miami-Ft. Lauderdale, St. Louis, Kansas City and New York City. It offers comparisons between Quarter 2 spending and Quarter 3 spending in 2018. Nearly 14 percent of all local legal services television ad spending occurred in these seven markets in the third quarter of 2018.


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Local Legal Services Advertising Spending – Quarter 2, 2018

|2018

This report looks at seven media markets and dissects trial

[…]

This report looks at seven media markets and dissects trial lawyers’ spending on local legal services ads in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Tampa-St. Petersburg, Miami-Ft. Lauderdale, St. Louis, Kansas City and New York City. Nearly 15 percent of local legal services television ad spending occurred in these seven markets in the second quarter of 2018.


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STATE CONSUMER PROTECTION LAWS UNHINGED It is Time to Restore Sanity to the Litigation

|2016

Consumer protection laws were intended to provide a remedy for

[…]

Consumer protection laws were intended to provide a remedy for people who are duped by false advertising or misleading practices in their day-to-day purchases, but, lately, the primary beneficiaries are plaintiffs’ lawyers. By taking advantage of the laws’ vague prohibition of “unfair or deceptive practices,” plaintiffs’ attorneys and some advocacy groups are transforming them from serving a legitimate function for consumers into a virtual lawsuit production factory. As a result of these suits, consumers get less choice in products and services, higher prices, and unnecessary disclaimers. Those who take the time to fill out the paperwork resulting from a settlement may get a few dollars or a coupon off their next purchase, while the attorneys who ginned up the lawsuit take home millions.


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Consumer Protection Acts or Consumer Litigation Acts? A Historical and Empirical Examination of State CPAs

|2016

This paper explores the introduction, original mission of, and corruption

[…]

This paper explores the introduction, original mission of, and corruption of State CPAs. It proceeds in three additional parts. Part II outlines a brief history of American consumer protection laws, beginning with the accompanying immodest expansions of State CPAs. Part III reviews and discusses the predictable litigation consequences of these expansions, including harm to consumers themselves, litigants, and the judicial system, and briefly surveys elementary economic theory as well as salient empirical data confirming that these unjustified CPA expansions harm consumers. Part IV concludes, recommending several salutary policy prescriptions for lawmakers considering amending a State CPA.


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