Justinian Lane

Inter Alia on the Internet

I’ve got a long list of articles I’d like to write substantively about.  Considering my law school & mock trial schedule, that isn’t likely to happen for a bit.  In lieu of detail, enjoy another Inter Alia on the Internet:

• W.R. Grace & Co. "and individual executives chose profits at the expense of people's health and chose avoiding liability over disclosing health hazards to the government," prosecutor Kris McLean told a U.S. District Court jury in Missoula in an opening statement.
• Credit card companies are raising rates despite billions in bailout bucks.  Their argument? Since people can’t pay their bills, we need to raise rates, thus making the bills higher. 
• Messy corruption involving homeowners associations, construction defect lawsuits, collusion, and Las Vegas.  Wanna bet the construction firms will try to swing the pendulum so far you can’t sue them even if they purposely tear down your home?
• Will there be a huge jump in legal malpractice cases?  Law.com thinks so...
• Why do I have a man crush on Henry Waxman and Frank Pallone?  Because they’re trying to undo the preemption decision that took away our right to sue defective device makers.  Good article about it at the NY Times.
• If you spend $3 million bucks to get a judge elected, and that judge rules in your favor on a $50 million dollar case, is that bias?  The Supreme Court will soon decide that question.  (If this were a plaintiffs’ attorney, can you imagine the screams from the Chamber?)
• We’ve often written about the “safety is too expensive” business model, which is when companies don’t take safety precautions because it will cost them.  Here’s an article at the NY Times about auto manufacturers making safety equipment too expensive for consumers to afford by requiring consumers to bundle luxury options to get safety features.
• Lansing Board of Water and Light employees donned KKK hoods to taunt a coworker.  I think I’ll write “shame on you” when I send them my next utility check.
• Georgia considering passing a bill immunizing drug and device makers from lawsuits in order to lure pharmaceutical companies to the state.  Hey, Sonny! We have half of that here in Michigan, and it’s layoff central.  It won’t do what you hope… unless you’re just hoping to screw consumers.
• Will upcoming regulations quickly fix the economy, or slow it down?  I’d be less enthusiastic about the regulations if it weren’t for the fact that the idiots who got us into this mess will likely be the ones who try and fix it.
• Did the Class Action “Fairness” Act work?  Sorta.
• What’s hidden in these hidden insurer documents?
• This woman has the nerve to call Chemerinksy “shrill?”  This whole article is as shrill as a referee's whistle.  Take some Valium, lady.

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Posted at 11:14 AM, Feb 24, 2009 in Roundup
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