Top News Clips for the Week of March 7-13
A selection of the need-to-know civil justice news for the week of March 7-13.
Exposure of Widespread Corruption Inspires a Nation-Wide Effort Aimed at Transparency
Citing recent events that have further exposed the “corruption and outright fraud that have long been endemic to asbestos litigation,” the American Tort Reform Association has launched a new website that “will document the overwhelming case for substantive reforms.”
Register Now for Our March 20 Teleforum on the New Jersey Supreme Court’s Latest Anti-Arbitration Ruling & Our SCOTUS Appeal
The New Jersey Civil Justice Institute has filed a joint amicus brief with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce asking the United States Supreme Court to overturn a recent New Jersey Supreme Court ruling that places limits on arbitration agreements. On Friday, March 20, at noon the New Jersey Civil Justice Institute is holding a policy teleforum to discuss this case and its implications. The featured speaker will be Archis A. Parasharami of Mayer Brown, one of the attorneys representing NJCJI and the U.S. Chamber in this case.
Top News Clips for the Week of Feb. 28-Mar. 6
A selection of the need-to-know civil justice news for the week of Feb. 28-Mar. 6.
NJCJI Urges U.S. Supreme Court to Overturn New Jersey Court’s Anti-Arbitration Ruling
The New Jersey Civil Justice Institute has filed a joint amicus brief with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce asking the United States Supreme Court to overturn a recent New Jersey Supreme Court ruling that places limits on arbitration agreements. Action from the Supreme Court is desperately needed. The New Jersey decision is already wreaking havoc on the state’s contract law - pushing more cases into courts and out of cheaper, faster, and more efficient arbitration programs.
Report Confirms Expert Evidence Law is Inconsistent
New Jersey’s court rule governing the admissibility and review of expert testimony has remained unchanged since 1991. In this same period the Federal Rules of Evidence, the Uniform Rules of Evidence, numerous state evidence rules, and our own case law have all changed to reflect the increased importance and use of expert testimony. At NJCJI’s urging, the NJ Supreme Court asked its Committee on the Rules of Evidence to take a closer look at the state’s laws governing this issue.
New Jersey High Court Punts?
On February 18, the New Jersey Supreme Court issued its decisions in two cases that had the potential to dramatically re-shape the state’s insurance law. The court’s opinion in the Wadeer case has gotten the attention of the legal community, but not for the reasons one might expect. The court declined to answer several questions related to the case, and instead directed the Civil Practice Committee to look into the issues and make recommendations.
Business Groups File Lawsuit Over Paid Sick Leave Mandate
The New Jersey Business & Industry Association, New Jersey State Chamber of Commerce, New Jersey Food Council, New Jersey Restaurant Association, New Jersey Retail Merchants Association and National Federation of Independent Businesses have filed a lawsuit against the city of Trenton seeking to stop the city from implementing its new paid sick leave law.
New Jersey’s Ban the Box Liability Language a Model for the Nation
On March 1, the Opportunity to Compete Act, also known as ‘Ban-the-Box’ went into effect. Under the new law, employers are prohibited from asking about an applicant's criminal history on their employment applications, or from making any such inquiries or investigations until the conclusion of the “initial employment application process.”
Top News Clips for the Week of Feb. 21-27
A selection of the need-to-know civil justice news for the week of Feb. 21-27.