RECORD OF SUCCESS

• Reducing the Burdens of Discovery: LCJ’s advocacy resulted in the significant improvement of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. Beneficial revisions included improving the 2000 Discovery and 2006 E-Discovery Amendments by limiting the scope of attorney-managed discovery, rationalizing pre-discovery disclosure and reemphasizing judicial authority to require payment of discovery costs.

• Protecting Corporate Privacy and Property Rights: Since 1990, in Congress and in more than 40 states, LCJ has successfully opposed legislation and rules that would endanger the privacy and intellectual property rights of litigants by ensuring that judges maintain discretion to issue protective orders and seal settlement agreements. Without these protections, plaintiffs’ attorneys would have open-ended access to confidential information of defendant corporations disclosed in litigation.

• Protecting Disclosure of Privileged Information: LCJ led the effort that resulted in a major legislative and rulemaking victory when the new Federal Rule of Evidence 502 was enacted. This Rule clarified privilege waiver and helped limit the cost of privilege reviews.

• Creating Favorable Summary Judgment and Expert Evidence Rules: LCJ supported amendments that restored the mandatory nature of the grant of summary judgment under FRCP 56 and significantly improved FRCP 26’s provisions on expert evidence.

• Improving the Quality of Expert Testimony in Federal Courts: LCJ was a forceful leader in giving judges the tools to eliminate “junk science” from the courtroom.