Too Many Lawsuits?

Here’s a great (short!) article by my CELA colleague Craig Byrne, presenting actual facts to debunk the myth that lawsuits are the ruination of our country:  www.celavoice.org/2014/10/10/litigious-society/  Tort cases, which are generally the Individual vs. Corporation lawsuits that the business and insurance community like to complain about, made up a whopping 6% of the Court’s docket.  The large majority of lawsuits are business vs. business.  In other words, it’s ok for them to sue when they believe they’ve been wronged, it’s just not ok for you.

Losing a job can be devastating for both you and your family.  This article has some good information about talking with young children about the loss of a job.  It’s a sad subject to have to discuss, and if you’re reading this because you’re in that situation, my heart goes out to you.  https://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20140711130519-12088091-daddy-have-you-lost-your-job?fb_action_ids=10203059154693985&fb_action_types=og.likes&fb_source=other_multiline&action_object_map=[794814053892782]&action_type_map=[%22og.likes%22]&action_ref_map=[]&_mSplash=1

So now the US Supreme Court tells us that corporations have religious beliefs, and those corporate religious beliefs trump womens’ access to reproductive health care. Since the Court has already told us that corporations are “people” with First Amendment rights, you can see which way this wind is blowing.  Perhaps the women of America should consider becoming corporations. Here’s a link to the best parts of Justice Ginsburg’s dissent, courtesy of Mother Jones magazine:  http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2014/06/best-lines-hobby-lobby-decision

There’s an interesting op-ed in the New York Times, by Corey Robin. http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/05/18/the-republican-war-on-workers-rights/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0 Mr. Robin reviews some recent analysis and finds  – no surprise – that Republican legislatures are using cookie-cutter legislation and creating new government requirements to deny unemployment benefits, keep wages down, and generally “passing legislation designed to enhance the position of employers at the expense of employees.”  Fortunately, here in California the Democratic-majority legislature and current Democratic governor do a decent job of resisting these efforts.  California workers enjoy job and wage protections in a number of areas, as they should.

April was quite a month month for the nasty business of discrimination.   we got Nevada rancher/right-wing poster boy/oops Cliven Bundy, pondering whether “negroes” were better off as slaves http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/24/us/politics/rancher-proudly-breaks-the-law-becoming-a-hero-in-the-west.html?ref=us&_r=0 and LA billionaire Donald Sterling flaming out in public when a private racist diatribe was leaked (not his first, just his most infamous) http://deadspin.com/your-complete-quotable-guide-to-decades-of-donald-sterl-1568047212, and the United States Supreme Court upholding Michigan’s ban on affirmative action in higher education, with Chief Justice John Roberts pondering whether affirmative action hurts rather then helps (Schuette v. BAMN, USSC No. No. 12–682).   Anyone see a similarity between Rancher Bundy’s pondering and Chief Justice Roberts’ pondering?