WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform (ILR) today announced that Mississippi’s legal climate has shown significant progress, moving up two spots to number 48 in the 2006 Harris State Liability Systems Ranking Study.

“The comprehensive legal reforms enacted in 2004 truly have made Mississippi open for business,” said Tom Donohue, President and CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. “The state supreme court has cracked down on abuses that had plagued the state’s courts for many years.”

The ILR/Harris Interactive survey of more than 1,400 senior attorneys, now in its fifth year, is the preeminent standard by which companies, policymakers and the media measure the legal fairness of states. In 2006, West Virginia ranked last among the fifty states and, for the fifth year in a row, Delaware is ranked number one.

“The best thing a state can do to attract business is to have a fair legal system,” continued Donohue. “There have been some great improvements under Governor Barbour’s leadership and we are trying to help spread the word that Mississippi is now a good place in which to do business.”

ILR is launching a national advertising campaign highlighting the results of the study and the need for comprehensive legal reform.

ILR’s mission is to make America’s legal system simpler, fairer, and faster for everyone. It seeks to promote civil justice reform through legislative, political, judicial, and educational activities at the national, state, and local levels. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the world’s largest business federation, representing more than 3 million businesses and organizations of every size, sector, and region.

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The ILR ranking survey is available online at www.instituteforlegalreform.org

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