Center for Justice & Democracy
Studies and White Papers
The Center for Justice & Democracy publishes groundbreaking studies and White Papers on a range of critical civil justice topics.
Some CJ&D studies and White Papers and our quarterly newsletter, Impact, are available free of charge to certain CJ&D members and subscribers. Password-protected studies and newsletters are indicated by this icon: 
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Studies and White Papers
- White Paper: Kids N' Safe Play: Regulation, Litigation and Playground Safety PDF
- The Racial Implications of Tort Reform PDF
- Federal Administrative Health Courts Are Unconstitutional
- White Paper: State Attorneys General: The People's Champion PDF
- A Tragic Blunder: Michigan’s Drug Industry Immunity Law PDF
- How the Civil Justice System Protects Environmental Health PDF
- Deadly Trade: Construction Safety in Illinois Since Repeal of the Structural Work Act PDF
- Why Health Courts are Unconstitutional PDF
- White Paper: Corporate Empowerment and the Decline of Public SafetyPDF
- Workers' Compensation - A Cautionary Tale PDF
- The Secret Chamber - The Inner Workings of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Hijacking of an Election PDF
- South Florida - "HellHole" Fiction PDF
- An Analysis of the Claims Payments and Performance of Physicians Insurance a Mutual Company PDF
- Falling Claims and Rising Premiums in the Medical Malpractice Insurance Industry PDF
- White Paper: Mandatory Binding Arbitration: Civil Injustice By Corporate AmericaPDF
- White Paper: Chamber of HorrorsPDF
- Top 10 Zany Immunity Law Awards, 2004 PDF
- “Tort Reform” and Racial Prejudice: A Troublesome Connection PDF
- White Paper: Small Business and “Tort Reform”: Much Ado About Nothing PDF
- White Paper: Hypocrites of “Tort Reform”: Doctors and Organized Medicine PDF
- White Paper: Where's the Crisis? Has America Been Duped by the AMA? PDF
- White Paper: The Money VulturesPDF
- Lifesavers: CJ&D's Guide to Lawsuits that Protect Us All PDF
- White Paper: Not in My Backyard II: The High-Tech Hypocrites of “Tort Reform” PDF
- White Paper: Shakedown: How the Insurance Industry Exploits a Nation in Times of Crisis PDF
- Restoring Shattered Lives: A Primer on War, Terrorism and the U.S. Civil Justice System PDF
- White Paper: What You Need to Know About Punitive Damages PDF
- White Paper: Reading Between the Headlines: The Media and Jury Verdicts PDF
- White Paper: Survey Says ... “Tort Reform” Not a Priority for Businesses PDF
- White Paper: Not in My Backyard: The Hypocrites of “Tort Reform” PDF
- The CALA Files: The Secret Campaign by Big Tobacco and Other Major Industries to Take Away Your Rights PDF
- Premium Deceit: The Failure of "Tort Reform" to Cut Insurance Prices PDF
Refutes views of corporate groups to show that recent playground development with safer shapes and materials has not only allowed playgrounds to be fun and interesting for kids, but also safer and less likely to send a child to the hospital. (2008)
Groundbreaking law review article exposes the racial prejudice lurking behind the so-called “tort reform” movement, focusing on five major areas where the legal rights of minorities are being challenged. (2008)
Released in partnership with the Center for Constitutional Litigation P.C., this law review discusses the unconstitutionality of health courts—CJ&D’s second law review on the topic. (2008)
Examines why state Attorneys General are among our country’s most important public advocates and exposes unfair, misleading assaults by corporate special interests. (2008)
Discusses Michigan's unprecedented law that prevents residents harmed by dangerous drugs from gaining access to the civil justice system, which has been devastating for Michiganders while failing to accomplish any promised economic benefits for the state. (2008)
Everyone should have the right to take action in court when their own health and the welfare of their own communities are at stake, and polluters should be held accountable for the harm they cause to ordinary people. (2007)
Executive Summary
Executive Summary PDF
Exposes the hazardous and deadly nature of the construction industry in Illinois since the elimination of a safety law more than 10 years ago. (2007)
Examines current administrative compensation schemes and alternative tribunals and exposes the important ways health courts would differ from them. These differences will make the health courts unconstitutional under most state constitutions. (2007)
Explores how the corporate take-over of federal agencies and preemption of legal rights has hurt the public health and safety. (2007)
Workers’ compensation programs throughout the country have been devastating for injured workers, leaving them to contend with an adversarial bureaucracy and inadequate benefits that render many destitute. (2006)
California PDF
Connecticut PDF
Georgia PDF
Kansas PDF
Missouri PDF
New York PDF
This report shows how the U.S. Chamber of Commerce provides substantial financial and strategic assistance to local front groups to influence state elections, including funding major media buys to smear local candidates. (2006)
This report describes the major flaws in the American Tort Reform Association (ATRA) “Judicial Hellhole” report, presents a wealth of contradictory information, and concludes that ATRA has severely misled Florida’s lawmakers and the public with this report. (2006)
This report analyzes the claims payments and performance of Physicians Insurance based on the Annual Statements it has filed with the Washington Office of Insurance Commissioner during the last 10 years and the additional statement it has filed covering the first half of 2005. (2005)
This study details how medical malpractice insurance rates for doctors have skyrocketed in recent years even though, claim payments are down. (2005)
Examines how mandatory binding arbitration hurts employees, consumers and patients. (2005)
Explores the influence of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in the outcome of the 2004 elections. (2005)
This report humorously highlights how our nation’s special interests line up before Congress and state legislatures each year to get special legal entitlements - immunities from liability – and sometimes for the weirdest things. (2004)
Exposes the racial prejudice lurking behind the so-called “tort reform” movement (2004)
Dispels many myths about the need for "tort reform" among the small business community. (2004)
Examines doctors and medical societies that run to court when they've been harmed, as well as doctors who make more per year than what they want to give patients for a lifetime of suffering. (2003)
Refutes American Medical Association claims of “crisis” by examining contradictory courtroom and medical evidence in 18 states. (2003)
Documents the malfeasance of the insurance industry and its close ties to President Bush and Congress. (2003)
This is an extensive compilation of cases that have led to major safety improvements. (2002)
Examines how high-tech companies use the courts while pushing to restrict lawsuits by consumers. (2002)
Exposes how the insurance industry uses its power over the U.S. economy to promote a legislative agenda that bilks U.S. taxpayers and abolishes consumer's rights. (2002)
An examination of the civil justice system and terrorism, war crimes and human rights violations that includes 60 completed and pending cases involving circumstances relevant to today’s world situation. (2001)
Learn the history, importance of and key facts about punitive damages. (2001)
Analyzes how the media's reporting of jury verdicts sometimes perpetuates the misperception that our civil jury system is in a state of emergency. (2001)
Dispels myths about the real importance of "tort reform" to the business community. (2001)
Examines individuals and corporations that have sued sometimes for millions of dollars while at the same time championing damage caps and other severe liability restrictions for others. (2001)
This study identifies many of the corporations, national lobbying groups and political consulting firms behind local Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse (CALA) groups, and exposes how the tobacco industry has concealed its leading role in order to preserve the CALAs' credibility in the public eye. (2000)
This study examines insurance rates over the last 14 years in every state in the country, and finds there to be no correlation between enactment of tort reforms and insurance rates. (1999)
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