Legal Reform Advocates Comment on Louisiana’s Poor Ranking in National Lawsuit Climate Survey

BATON ROUGE, LA (September 12, 2017)— Legal reform advocates from Louisiana Lawsuit Abuse Watch (LLAW) and the Coalition for Common Sense (CCS) issued the following statements today in response to the release of the U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform’s 2017 Lawsuit Climate Survey, where Louisiana’s legal environment ranked 50th—the worst in the nation.

“Unfortunately, it comes as no surprise that our legal climate ranked as the worst in the nation this year,” said LLAW Executive Director Melissa Landry. “Litigation is a growing industry in Louisiana. From problematic venue laws, to widespread judicial misconduct, a lack of transparency in asbestos litigation and trust claims, broad misuse of consumer protection laws, and the highest jury trial threshold in the nation—there are many troubling aspects of our legal system that contribute to the perception that it is difficult, if not impossible, for some to get a fair shake in our courts.”

“When it comes to abusive litigation and plaintiff-friendly judges, Louisiana has had a terrible reputation for decades, and it has only gotten worse in recent years,” said CCS Director Jim Harris. “We cannot continue to ignore this problem and hope it goes away. Until the governor and state lawmakers tackle these issues head on and enact meaningful legal reform, we will continue to be pegged as a judicial hellhole and new business and economic opportunities will continue to pass us by.”

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