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In
January of 1996 a group of about 17 business men and women and
civic leaders met in San Jose California to address a matter
that was damaging all of their business. Not only were their
businesses placed in jeopardy, but their ability to hire more
employees, attract risk capital and bring products to the
community that would be beneficial to the public.
The matter is
frivolous lawsuits.
They decided to form
a non-profit public policy group dedicated to educating the
public as to the human and financial cost of frivolous lawsuits;
to stimulate public debate on the need for civil justice reform
and to hold legislators responsible for that reform. They called
it Silicon Valley Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse (CALA).
From that handful of
people a decade ago, CALA has grown to over 6000 supporters in
75 cities in eight Bay Area counties. CALA is now the fastest
growing non-profit activist organization in the state.
An indication that
CALA is on the right track is a poll that was conducted by the
San Francisco based Pacific Research Institute showing that 75
to 87 percent of the public agree that the civil justice system
is out of whack and needs reform.
Under the leadership
of Chairman William C. Parrish, Jr, who is the Executive
Director of the Santa Clara County Medical Association, the
group is having a growing impact on public opinion. Hundreds of
civic, business and professional organizations have invited CALA
representatives to address their meetings. Lectures are
conducted at numerous colleges and universities in the area.
Vice Chairman, Grant Lindholm, Vice President of the Greater Bay
Bank and Secretary, Gary F. Burke, Consultant and former vice
president of NASDEQ, and other board members, actively bring the
CALA issues to the state legislature, the community and the
press.
CALA representatives
have testified before committees of the state legislature as
well as public rallies and forums. Television and radio stations
call on CALA for our balanced view of civil justice reform
issues. CALA president, Don Wolfe, the former Mayor of Saratoga
and Community College Board President, points out that the
targeted grass roots audiences for CALA's message are the
general public, judges, potential jurors and insurance companies
(so that they are not too quick to settle with the publics
premium funds).
The tide is beginning
to turn in the favor of common sense in the fight for civil
justice reform. The Civil Justice Association of California
recently applauded CALA for our significant contribution to the
victory at the ballot box in November of 2004 of Proposition 64
which put an end to personal injury attorneys misusing the law
for shakedown lawsuits.
In January of this
year, the President of the United States, George W. Bush,
invited Wolfe to the Oval Office to discuss CALA's roll in bring
about class action reform legislation. The President's measure
was victorious in the form of the passage of Senate Bill 5,
Class Action Fairness Act of 2005. Wolfe had the honor of being
invited back to the White House for the signing ceremony of that
bill by the President in February.
The present make up
of the California legislature does not make it easy for CALA
proposals and measures to be passed. But CALA stays focused on
civil justice reform and a growing avalanche of grassroots
support will continue to bring justice and not greed to our
courts. |
