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What's the difference
between a member of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America
and the American Association for Justice? Absolutely nothing.
But in a telling
development, the nation's premier trial lawyer group has changed
its name from the former to the latter. Why?
The head of the newly
renamed organization, Mike Eidson, clearly hopes the new name
will change the public's perception of the trial bar. "It's a
good change that reflects what we do and not who we are," said
Eidson, admitting the trial bar has a serious image problem.
Americans have come
to realize that the trial bar is not pursuing "justice" as much
as it is pursuing profits. Consider class-action lawsuits where
plaintiffs often walk away with little, if anything, while the
legal team pockets millions.
The net effects are
clear: escalating insurance premiums driving large numbers of
doctors out of business; corporate bankruptcies throwing
thousands out of work; and tort costs inflating consumer prices
for everyone else.
The Council of
Economic Advisors reports that more is now spent on lawsuits
than the government spends on education, training and
employment; general science, space and technology; conservation
and land management.
The American public
also knows that the trial lawyer industry has made itself into
one of the most powerful forces in modern American politics,
including here in Georgia.
During this election
year, Supreme Court Justice Carol Huntstein, the only incumbent
with a declared opponent, has raised $232,970 through June 30.
Of the nearly 170 contributors to her campaign, all but nine are
lawyers or law firms.
Why so many political
contributions? Easy. To protect profits and to support
politicians who resist public demands for legal reform.
Americans know that
when people adopt an alias, it's usually because they've got
something to hide. The American Association for Justice, aka the
Association of Trial Lawyers of America, may have changed its
name, but the game remains the same. |
