New Political Climate May Lead To Class Action Changes

The election of a Republican President, along with a Republican U.S. Congress, and the election of a Republican Missouri Governor, combined with a Republican state legislature, are all spurring potential changes on the respective class action landscapes.

Federal Priorities

At the federal level, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) introduced the "Fairness in Class Action Litigation Act of 2017," which is intended to "assure fairer, more efficient outcomes for claimants and defendants, and for other purposes." The bill further recites its purpose to "(1) assure fair and prompt recoveries for class members and multidistrict litigation plaintiffs with legitimate claims; (2) diminish abuses in class action and mass tort litigation that are undermining the integrity of the U.S. legal system; and (3) restore the intent of the framers of the United States Constitution by ensuring Federal court consideration of interstate controversies of national