Cynics may be forgiven if they note that trial lawyers are among the very largest contributors to President Clinton's campaigns. Fortunately, some steps are under contemplation and others are being taken. Congress and many state legislatures also need to pass comprehensive legal reform. Recently, Congress fortunately passed legal reform to protect the suppliers of raw materials used in medical devices from lawsuits, which means that these devices are less likely to be withdrawn from the U.S. market because their manufacturers fear being sued. This legislation will go a long way to protect Americans who need devices like silicon shunts to stay alive, but it won't protect patients completely.
More legislation is needed.
Congress and state legislatures should enact a cap on punitive damages, make it harder for plaintiffs to sue the richest person involved in a case instead of the guiltiest and place limitations on a person's ability to sue for damages in accidents in which their own intoxication was the main cause. This policy, which works very well in Great Britain as a technique for reducing frivolous court cases, mandates that the losing parties in a lawsuit pay the court expenses of the winner. The law is a fine and honorable profession. Our system of justice requires that some members of every generation pursue careers in law. But young people should pursue this career because they believe in justice and the rule of law, not because they hope to become billionaires.