Public Justice

October 29, 2013 In Blog

CHEATED AGAIN: NEW FORCED-ARBITRATION DECISION WIPES AWAY CRUCIAL CALIFORNIA CONSUMER PROTECTION LAW

By Paul Bland, Senior Attorney Twitter: @pblandbland California’s consumer protection laws are often thought of as some of the best in the nation, and one reason for that is that they provide great remedies for broad, systemic public injunctive relief. For example, say a company…

October 22, 2013 In Blog

Jury Trials – Not Arbitration – Find the Truth, as Jamie Leigh Jones Case Shows

By Paul Bland, Senior Attorney Many recall the enormous amount of national publicity that surrounded the allegations of a KBR-Halliburton employee in Iraq named Jamie Leigh Jones. Jamie testified in both houses of Congress, made several television appearances, was prominently featured in the documentary Hot…

October 17, 2013 In Blog Anti-Bullying

Girls Charged with Felony in Suicide of Bullied 12-Year-Old: Why Civil Litigation Is a Better Approach

by Adele Kimmel, Managing Attorney Two girls, ages 12 and 14, have been criminally charged with a felony in the tragic case of Rebecca Ann Sedwick, a 12-year-old Florida girl who committed suicide last month after enduring a year of online and face-to-face bullying. As…

October 11, 2013 In Updates

Public Justice to Argue in Supreme Court Against ERISA Statue of Limitations Injustice

Public Justice will argue before the Supreme Court next week on behalf of a disabled former Wal-Mart employee who was denied disability benefits, yet unable to file a lawsuit challenging that denial because of a catch-22 in the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA)…

October 9, 2013 In Blog

Will the Supreme Court Let Wal-Mart Block Its Workers’ Disability Claims Too?

By Arthur Bryant, Executive Director Two years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court let Wal-Mart block its female workers’ sex discrimination claims in Wal-Mart v. Dukes by changing the rules governing class actions. Next Tuesday, Wal-Mart will ask the Court to block its workers’ long-term disability…

September 20, 2013 In Blog

Forced Arbitration Isn’t Just for Employees of Corporations Anymore. It’s Also for Your Housekeeper (Who You Assaulted).

By Leah Nicholls, Kazan-Budd Attorney The Virginia Supreme Court has enforced an arbitration agreement against a housekeeper who sought to sue her former boss after he physically assaulted her. By this point, like it or not (not), consumer and worker advocates expect to find arbitration clauses…

September 18, 2013 In Blog Anti-Bullying

Bullying, Cyberbullying, and Suicide: A Lesson for Schools

By Adele Kimmel, Managing Attorney The start of the new school year has already provided a painful lesson on the effects of bullying. After the first day of school, 15-year-old Bart Palosz of Greenwich, Conn., killed himself in an apparent effort to escape years of…

September 18, 2013 In Blog

What Do Frequent Flier Programs Have to Do with Flying? The Supreme Court Takes on Preemption Under the Airline Deregulation Act.

By Leah Nicholls, Kazan-Budd Attorney Are airlines excused from following state laws when it comes to frequent flier programs? That’s the question before the Supreme Court in Northwest, Inc. v. Ginsberg. If the Court answers with a broad “yes,” a large swath of consumer transactions could…

September 17, 2013 In Blog

Untreatable: Factory Farmed Meat Linked to 23,000 Deaths

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention By Jessica Culpepper, Food Safety & Health Attorney Yesterday the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed that one of our worst medical nightmares is coming true—antibiotic resistant superbugs are leading us to a post antibiotic era, where…

September 17, 2013 In Blog

Debt Collector Can’t Use Its Own Mistake to Its Advantage, Says Washington Federal Court

By Leslie Bailey, Staff Attorney As a consumer lawyer, I’ve witnessed some pretty outrageous conduct by corporations, and debt collectors and debt buyers are especially prone to abuses. But even I was surprised at how low one debt collection law firm in Washington stooped lately. …