Schwartz to Testify Before House Judiciary Committee

Victor Schwartz, Chairman of the Public Policy Group in the D.C. office, will testify before the House Judiciary Committee of the Congress on June 22, regarding the need for legislation to curb frivolous lawsuits.  The oversight hearing, "Safeguarding Americans from a Legal Culture of Fear: Approaches to Limiting Lawsuit Abuse," will be broadcast on C-Span.

The Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act of 2004 ("LARA"), H.R. 4571, was introduced by Lamar Smith (R-TX) on June 15, 2004.  The legislation would strengthen Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 11, and extend its protections to prevent frivolous lawsuits in state courts when state judges determine a case would have national economic consequences that affect interstate commerce.  The bill also would prevent forum shopping by requiring that personal injury cases be brought only in the plaintiff’s place of residence, where the plaintiff was allegedly injured, or where the defendant’s principal place of business is located.