"Once elected [Governor], we passed some of the strongest legal reforms in America. … If I am fortunate enough to be your president, that will be my legacy."
- George W. Bush, February 9, 2000.

We are challenged as never before in history by a corporate-led attack on our precious right to trial by jury in civil cases.

With money and politics already dominating the executive and legislative branches of government, America's civil justice system is one of the only places left in America where individual citizens can successfully challenge powerful industries and institutions. Insurance companies, manufacturers of dangerous products and chemicals, the tobacco industry and other major industries are engaged in a nationwide campaign to change our civil justice system - to make it easier for them to escape responsibility for the harm they cause.

This so-called "tort reform" movement has sunk multi- millions of dollars into hundreds of industry-sponsored, conservative groups, "think-tanks," public relations, polling and lobbying firms, which are setting legislative agendas, devising strategies and purchasing expensive media. Their goals are to take power away from civil jurors with "tort reform" laws -- laws that immunize corporations from lawsuits and block injured consumers' access to the courts -- and target judges whose decisions they do not like.

The Center for Justice & Democracy is the only national consumer organization in the country working round-the-clock to fight this movement, engaging in battles around the country to protect our civil justice system. We are working full-time to expose unscrupulous attacks by special interests on judges, juries, injured consumers and the attorneys who represent them. We are dedicated to raising public awareness of the value of our civil justice system and the dangerous campaign behind the so-called "tort reform" movement.