HARRISBURG, PA – Longstanding and broad-based concerns about Pennsylvania’s courts being out-of-balance have led a diverse group of organizations and individuals to create a new civil-justice-focused advocacy organization. The Pennsylvania Coalition for Civil Justice Reform (PCCJR) will work to educate Pennsylvanians about problems in the legal sytem and advocate for reforms to help bring fairness to the state’s courts.
The executive director of PCCJR is Curt Schroder, a former state legislator and an attorney familiar with the defense side of civil litigation. Schroder observed, “Pennsylvania employers large and small, professional groups, and health care providers are working together to address multiple issues in our civil justice system. Creating more even-handed laws and courts will benefit all Pennsylvanians by attracting jobs and helping ensure access to health care, while at the same time delivering justice to those who have been harmed by others.”
Concerns about Pennsylvania’s legal system have also been raised nationally. The state legal climate was ranked below 36 other states by the U.S. Chamber’s Institute for Legal Reform. In addition, The American Tort Reform Association recently cited the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas, and Allegheny County courts as being on its Judicial Hellhole “Watch List.” Areas of Pennsylvania law that have met with criticism include the treatment of mass torts, discovery abuse, evidentiary procedures, excessive awards, unpredictability, forum shopping, and improprieties in state contracting with private attorneys, among others.
Schroder noted, “I’m excited to be involved with the PCCJR, as civil justice reform in Pennsylvania has been a longstanding interest of mine. I’ve seen injustices during my years working as an attorney, and I’ve advocated for legal reform as a member of the legislature. Our laws and courts need reforms to be brought back into the mainstream, and to address this I’m working together with PCCJR members to develop our policy agenda.”
The Pennsylvania Coalition for Civil Justice Reform is a 501(c )(6), not-for-profit, nonpartisan advocacy organization. Additional information is available at https://paforciviljusticereform.org, https://www.facebook.com/paciviljustice/ or https://twitter.com/paciviljustice.
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