In Praise of Litigation

In Praise of Litigation PDF Author: Alexandra D. Lahav
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0199380805
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 233

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Book Description
In the grand scale of lawsuits, actually crazy or bogus lawsuits constitute a tiny minority ; in fact, most anecdotes turn out to be misrepresentations of what actually happened. In In Praise of Litigation, Lahav argues that critics are blinded to the many benefits of lawsuits. The majority of lawsuits promote equality before the law, transparency, and accountability. Our ability to go to court is a sign of our strength as a society and enables us to both participate in and reinforce the rule of law. In addition, joining lawsuits gives citizens direct access to governmental officials-judges-who can hear their arguments about issues central to our democracy, including the proper extent of police power and the ability of all people to vote. It is at least arguable that lawsuits have helped spur major social changes in arenas like race relations and marriage rights, as well as made products safer and forced wrongdoers to answer for their conduct.

In Praise of Litigation

In Praise of Litigation PDF Author: Alexandra D. Lahav
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0199380805
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 233

Get Book

Book Description
In the grand scale of lawsuits, actually crazy or bogus lawsuits constitute a tiny minority ; in fact, most anecdotes turn out to be misrepresentations of what actually happened. In In Praise of Litigation, Lahav argues that critics are blinded to the many benefits of lawsuits. The majority of lawsuits promote equality before the law, transparency, and accountability. Our ability to go to court is a sign of our strength as a society and enables us to both participate in and reinforce the rule of law. In addition, joining lawsuits gives citizens direct access to governmental officials-judges-who can hear their arguments about issues central to our democracy, including the proper extent of police power and the ability of all people to vote. It is at least arguable that lawsuits have helped spur major social changes in arenas like race relations and marriage rights, as well as made products safer and forced wrongdoers to answer for their conduct.

In Praise of Litigation

In Praise of Litigation PDF Author: Alexandra Lahav
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0199380813
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 256

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Book Description
While the right to have one's day in court is a cherished feature of the American democratic system, alarms that the United States is hopelessly litigious and awash in frivolous claims have become so commonplace that they are now a fixture in the popular imagination. According to this view, litigation wastes precious resources, stifles innovation and productivity, and corrodes our social fabric and the national character. Calls for reform have sought, often successfully, to limit people's access to the court system, most often by imposing technical barriers to bringing suit. Alexandra Lahav's In Praise of Litigation provides a much needed corrective to this flawed perspective, reminding us of the irreplaceable role of litigation in a well-functioning democracy and debunking many of the myths that cloud our understanding of this role. For example, the vast majority of lawsuits in the United States are based on contract claims, the median value of lawsuits is on a downward trend, and, on a per capita basis, many fewer lawsuits are filed today than were filed in the 19th century. Exploring cases involving freedom of speech, foodborne illness, defective cars, business competition, and more, the book shows that despite its inevitable limitations, litigation empowers citizens to challenge the most powerful public and private interests and hold them accountable for their actions. Lawsuits change behavior, provide information to consumers and citizens, promote deliberation, and express society's views on equality and its most treasured values. In Praise of Litigation shows how our court system protects our liberties and enables civil society to flourish, and serves as a powerful reminder of why we need to protect people's ability to use it. The tort reform movement has had some real successes in limiting what can reach the courts, but there have been victims too. As Alexandra Lahav shows, it has become increasingly difficult for ordinary people to enforce their rights. In the grand scale of lawsuits, actually crazy or bogus lawsuits constitute a tiny minority; in fact, most anecdotes turn out to be misrepresentations of what actually happened. In In Praise of Litigation, Lahav argues that critics are blinded to the many benefits of lawsuits. The majority of lawsuits promote equality before the law, transparency, and accountability. Our ability to go to court is a sign of our strength as a society and enables us to both participate in and reinforce the rule of law. In addition, joining lawsuits gives citizens direct access to governmental officials-judges-who can hear their arguments about issues central to our democracy, including the proper extent of police power and the ability of all people to vote. It is at least arguable that lawsuits have helped spur major social changes in arenas like race relations and marriage rights, as well as made products safer and forced wrongdoers to answer for their conduct. In this defense, Lahav does not ignore the obvious drawbacks to litigiousness. It is expensive, stressful, and time consuming. Certainly, sensible reforms could make the system better. However, many of the proposals that have been adopted and are currently on the table seek only to solve problems that do not exist or to make it harder for citizens to defend their rights and to enforce the law. This is not the answer. In Praise of Litigation offers a level-headed and law-based assessment of the state of litigation in America as well as a number of practical steps that can be taken to ensure citizens have the right to defend themselves against wrongs while not odiously infringing on the rights of others.

Cost of Capital in Litigation

Cost of Capital in Litigation PDF Author: Shannon P. Pratt
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 0470944919
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 323

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Book Description
Cost of Capital in Litigation addresses cost of capital issues in litigation and discusses major decisions, highlighting how to avoid errors that have often been made by experts. The book helps the attorney and valuation expert understand the decisions within the context of the theory of cost of capital and includes a chapter on cross-examining experts on cost of capital issues. Throughout, there are citation to relevant material and cross-reference to Cost of Capital: Applications and Examples, Fourth Edition.

Entrepreneurial Litigation

Entrepreneurial Litigation PDF Author: John C. Coffee
Publisher: Harvard University Press
ISBN: 0674736796
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 318

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Book Description
In class actions, attorneys effectively hire clients rather than act as their agent. Lawyer-financed, lawyer-controlled, and lawyer-settled, this entrepreneurial litigation invites lawyers to act in their own interest. John Coffee’s goal is to save class action, not discard it, and to make private enforcement of law more democratically accountable.

Point Made

Point Made PDF Author: Ross Guberman
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0199943850
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 426

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Book Description
In Point Made, Ross Guberman uses the work of great advocates as the basis of a valuable, step-by-step brief-writing and motion-writing strategy for practitioners. The author takes an empirical approach, drawing heavily on the writings of the nation's 50 most influential lawyers.

The Girl at the Baggage Claim

The Girl at the Baggage Claim PDF Author: Gish Jen
Publisher: Knopf
ISBN: 1101947829
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 337

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Book Description
"A ... study of the different idea Asians and Westerners have of the self and how this plays out in our differing approaches to art, learning, politics, business, and almost everything else"--

In Praise of Risk

In Praise of Risk PDF Author: Anne Dufourmantelle
Publisher: Fordham University Press
ISBN: 0823285472
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 225

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Book Description
When Anne Dufourmantelle drowned in a heroic attempt to save two children caught in rough seas, obituaries around the world rarely failed to recall that she was the author of a book entitled In Praise of Risk, implying that her death confirmed the ancient adage that to philosophize is to learn how to die. Now available in English, this magnificent and already much-discussed book indeed offers a trenchant critique of the psychic work the modern world devotes to avoiding risk. Yet this is not a book on how to die but on how to live. For Dufourmantelle, risk entails an encounter not with an external threat to life but with something hidden in life that conditions our approach to such ordinary risks as disobedience, passion, addiction, leaving family, and solitude Keeping jargon to a minimum, Dufourmantelle weaves philosophical reflections together with clinical case histories. The everyday fears, traumas, and resistances that therapy addresses brush up against such broader concerns as terrorism, insurance, addiction, artistic creation, and political revolution. Taking up a project than joins the work of many French thinkers, such as Jacques Lacan, Jacques Derrida, Jean-Luc Nancy, Hélène Cixous, Giorgio Agamben, and Catherine Malabou, Dufourmantelle works to dislodge Western philosophy, psychoanalysis, ethics, and politics from the redemptive logic of sacrifice. She discovers the kernel of a future beyond annihilation where one might least expect to find it, hidden in the unconscious. In an era defined by enhanced security measures, border walls, trigger warnings, and endless litigation, Dufourmantelle’s masterwork provides a much-needed celebration of the risks that define what it means to live.

Mass Tort Deals

Mass Tort Deals PDF Author: Elizabeth Chamblee Burch
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1108416977
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 293

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Book Description
Presenting twenty-two years of multidistrict litigation data, this book exposes a systematic lack of checks and balances in our courts.

Settle it Out of Court

Settle it Out of Court PDF Author: Thomas E. Crowley
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 280

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Book Description
Now, in this smart, witty guide, attorney and conflict resolution expert, Thomas Crowley offers you "battle-tested" strategies and step-by-step guidance on resolving your business and personal disputes fairly, equitably, and without the agonies of a court trial. And most importantly, he explains it in clear, down-to-earth English, not in legalese! Applicable to virtually any type of dispute, including marital, employer/employee, and contract disputes, the techniques Thomas Crowley provides are designed to get both sides to structure their feelings, help them get their facts out straight and state their cases, and enable them to hash out a mutually agreeable settlement in a civilized fashion.

Inside a Class Action

Inside a Class Action PDF Author: Jane Schapiro
Publisher: Terrace Books
ISBN: 0299193330
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 305

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Book Description
On October 21, 1996, attorney Michael Hausfeld, with a team of lawyers, filed a class-action complaint against Union Bank of Switzerland, Swiss Bank Corporation, and Credit Suisse on behalf of Holocaust victims. The suit accused the banks of, among other things, acting as the chief financiers for Nazi Germany. On August 12, 1998, the plaintiffs and banks reached a $1.25 billion settlement. Through detailed research, court transcripts, and interviews with politicians, attorneys, historians, and survivors, Jane Schapiro shows how egos, personalities, and values clashed in this complex and emotionally charged case. Inside a Class Action provides an insider's view of a major lawsuit from its inception to its conclusion and will appeal to anyone interested in human rights, reparations, and international law.