Civil Justice Reform in the U.S.

Vice President Dan Quayle, chairman of the President’s Council on Competitiveness, addressed the annual convention of the American Bar Association to criticize the legal profession for creating excess litigation and damage awards. The large amount of litigation in the U.S. prevents the country from performing on an equal basis in world markets. He presented a number of proposals to improve the American legal system, including caps on punitive damages and making the loser of a Federal court case bear the entire cost of the case. Vice President Quayle’s remarks were followed by a rebuke from the chairman of the American Bar Association, John Curtain, who said the person who advocates eliminating lawyers bears the burden for providing protection for the poor and disadvantaged. Vice President Quayle responded to the rebuke by declaring he had not advocated the elimination of the American legal process. close