July 26, 2004

As our editor alerted us, John Stossel had a 20/20 "Gimme A Break" segment Friday on trial lawyers entitled Lawyers and the Little Guy: How Helpful Were V.P. Hopeful Edwards’ Courtroom Triumphs." Those who missed it missed a treat; the written version doesn't do the television segment justice.

The piece was a comprehensive look at vice presidential contender John Edwards (see also here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here), at the legal profession he unflaggingly supports, and the "unintended consequences of what they do, and how the lawsuits they pursue impact our lives." Stossel spent extensive time focusing on the impact of lawsuits, such as Edwards's cerebral palsy cases, on medical care (see generally here). John spent a lot of time interviewing Dickie Scruggs, the chief negotiator of the tobacco master settlement agreement (John met Dickie through a Manhattan Institute panel and luncheon on "Trial Lawyers, Inc.," in which both participated), and he included must-see looks at Scruggs's massive yacht, one of his mansions, and one of his planes.