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." Read More
ST. LOUIS, MO - The U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform (ILR) today announced that Missouri's legal climate has shown significant progress, moving up five spots to number 35 in the 2006 Harris State Liability Systems Ranking Study. Read More
WASHINGTON, DC - The U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform (ILR) today announced that Ohio's legal climate has shown significant improvement, moving up seven spots to number 19 in the 2006 Harris State Liability Systems Ranking Study. "Ohio is a great example of a state that has taken substantive steps to fix its legal system," said Tom Donohue, President and CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. "The two meaningful legal reform bills enacted during the past two years have played a direct role in significantly improving the state's legal - and business - climates." Read More
WASHINGTON, DC - The U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform (ILR) today announced that Texas has remained one of the ten worst legal climates in the country, moving up one spot to number 43 in the 2006 Harris State Liability Systems Ranking Study. In addition, various Texas jurisdictions were named among the least fair and reasonable jurisdictions in the country. Read More
WASHINGTON, DC - The U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform (ILR) today announced that Florida's legal climate has shown modest progress, moving up four spots to number 38 in the 2006 Harris State Liability Systems Ranking Study. Miami-Dade County remains one of the least fair and reasonable jurisdictions in the country. Read More
MADISON, WI - The U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform (ILR) today announced that Wisconsin's legal climate has dropped six spots to number 23 in the 2006 Harris State Liability Systems Ranking Study, and has plummeted an alarming 13 spots in just two years. Read More
WASHINGTON, DC - The U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform (ILR) today announced that California moved up one spot to number 44 in the 2006 Harris State Liability Systems Ranking Study, but its legal climate remains one of the worst in the country. In addition, Los Angeles was named the least fair and reasonable litigation environment in the country. Read More
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform (ILR) today applauded the West Virginia legislature and Governor Joe Manchin for enacting legal reform legislation that is a critical first step toward restoring balance to the state's unfair legal system. Read More
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform (ILR) today congratulated the West Virginia legislature and Governor Joe Manchin for passing a legal reform bill that is an important step in restoring balance to the state's unfair legal system. The West Virginia legislature passed SB 418, a bill that would reduce lawsuit abuse by reforming the state's third party bad faith laws. West Virginia is one of only a handful of states whose law allows third parties to sue insurers for acting in alleged "bad faith." Read More
WASHINGTON, D.C.-The United States Chamber Institute for Legal Reform (ILR) today announced a television advertising campaign in West Virginia to urge citizens to contact their elected officials and tell them to pass meaningful legal reform legislation that will curb frivolous lawsuits, stimulate economic development and create jobs. Read More
WASHINGTON, D.C.-The United States Chamber Institute for Legal Reform (ILR) today released a poll showing that an overwhelming percentage of West Virginians want their elected officials to pass comprehensive legislation to curb frivolous lawsuits, stimulate economic development, and create jobs. Read More
CHARLESTON, W.Va. - U.S. Chamber President and CEO Thomas Donohue today announced West Virginia ranked 49 among the fifty states in legal fairness, according to the Institute for Legal Reform/Harris Interactive 2005 State Liability Systems Ranking Study. Read More
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform (ILR) today released its Harris Interactive 2005 State Liability Systems Rankings Study and launched a national advertising campaign to highlight the results and promote federal and state-based legal reform. Read More
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform (ILR) today released its Harris Interactive 2005 State Liability Systems Rankings Study, which shows Mississippi ranked 50 in legal fairness. Despite this ranking, 96 percent of survey respondents who were familiar with the comprehensive legal reform legislation effective last September expect a major or moderate improvement in the state's litigation environment. Read More
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The United States Chamber of Commerce's Institute for Legal Reform (ILR) today applauded the American Tort Reform Association's (ATRA) release of its new report, "Bringing Justice to Judicial Hellholes." Read More
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The United States Chamber of Commerce devoted manpower and money in key U.S. House and Senate races in a successful effort to elect pro-business candidates - putting 215 people on the ground in 31 states, sending 3.7 million pieces of mail, placing 5.6 million phone calls, and sending more than 30 million emails. Read More
WASHINGTON, D.C. - United States Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Thomas J. Donohue today praised Governor Haley Barbour and the Mississippi Legislature for passing a comprehensive legal reform bill that will dramatically improve the state's unfair legal system and encourage business development and expansion. This is an important victory for the people of Mississippi," said Donohue. "Governor Barbour, Lt. Governor Tuck and the leaders of both houses of the legislature are to be commended for doing the right thing." Read More
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The United States Chamber of Commerce Institute for Legal Reform's annual State Liability Systems Ranking Study found a wide gap between the best and worst states in legal fairness - a difference that underscores the need for both federal and state-based legal reform. "Opportunistic trial lawyers are flocking to courts in a handful of out-of-the-way places that are stacked in favor of plaintiffs' attorneys and that have shown a willingness to dole out huge awards in frivolous cases," said Thomas Donohue, U.S. Chamber President and CEO. Read More
WASHINGTON, D.C., April 9, 2003 - The United States Chamber of Commerce's second annual poll of corporate counselors and senior litigators on the fairness or reasonableness of state liability systems gave Georgia a "C-" rating and continued to find a majority of states deserve a grade of fair to poor. The state ranks 39 this year, a significant drop from 23 in 2002 Read More
WASHINGTON, D.C., April 9, 2003 The United States Chamber of Commerce's second annual poll of corporate counselors and senior litigators on the fairness or reasonableness of state liability systems continues to find a majority of states deserve a grade of fair to poor. "When abusive lawsuits rush in, new jobs stay out," said Thomas Donohue, Chamber President and CEO. "States must know that if they maintain legal systems that are unfair for companies, those companies can and will go elsewhere." Read More