James R. Copland

Throughout its history, Point of Law has been examining the relationship between state attorneys general and the trial bar. On October 25, the Center for Legal Policy at the Manhattan Institute, our site sponsor, released the sixteenth edition of its Trial Lawyers, Inc. series focusing on just this topic. To react to the report and address the subject in more detail, we have brought together a fascinating group of practitioners, journalists, and tort-reform activists to discuss the issue in this featured discussion. In alphabetical order:

John Beisner is co-head of the Mass Torts and Insurance Litigation Group at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP. He focuses on the defense of purported class actions, mass tort matters and other complex civil litigation in both federal and state courts.

John H. Fund is a senior editor of The American Spectator and author of the Stealing Elections (Encounter Books).

Sherman "Tiger" Joyce is president of the American Tort Reform Association (ATRA), the leading national organization dedicated exclusively to civil justice reform.

Amy Kjose is the director of the Civil Justice Task Force for the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) serving also as a liaison for legal reform groups nationwide to promote legal reform efforts.

Lisa A. Rickard is the president of the U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform (ILR) providing strategic leadership to ILR's comprehensive program aimed at changing the nation's legal culture.

Victor Schwartz is a partner in the Washington, D.C., office of the Kansas City-based law firm of Shook, Hardy & Bacon L.L.P., and chairs its Public Policy Group which seeks to be the vanguard of developing public policy issues that will help improve our civil justice system.