Sounding the alarm on growing threats in the litigation environment is a central part of the Institute for Legal Reform’s mission.

In the 2018 Fall Research Review, we investigated a number of these threats and documented the results:

• The shocking price tag of a U.S. tort system gone wild ($429 billion in 2016)
• The record-setting rise in securities class action filings (double the 20-year average in 2017)
• The fact that the current draft of the European Commission’s proposal is both highly flawed and lacks support among European consumers (only 13 percent are in favor)

But it wasn’t all bad news. Our research examined the Supreme Court’s strong stance against forum shopping and verdict chasing in Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. v. Superior Court, and provided guidance to defendants litigating personal jurisdiction issues in lower courts. We also explored possible reforms to False Claims Act policy that DOJ might undertake as part of its already-significant efforts to curb over-enforcement.

Finally, the 2018 Fall Research Review contains a brief recap of the critical litigation trends shared at Summit XX: Law, Policy, and Politics. If you couldn’t make it to the Summit, we invite you to view opening remarks from ILR President Lisa Rickard here, along with footage of our expert panels.

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