About
More Jobs, Not Lawsuits.
“Legal reform has been a significant factor in business expansion and economic growth. Texas cannot afford to return to the days when it was the “world’s courtroom.”
Legal reform has been a significant factor in business expansion and economic growth in Texas over the past quarter century. Texas cannot afford to return to the days when it was the “world’s courtroom.” Since 1986, the Texas Civil Justice League has led the fight to restore fairness and stability to the state’s civil justice system. The League is the nation’s oldest and largest state legal reform organization. Our members include hundreds of corporate businesses of all sizes, law firms, professional and trade associations, health care providers, and individuals.
The Texas Civil Justice League has pursued a broad civil justice reform agenda, passing legislation to clear court dockets of unimpaired asbestosis claims, restrict forum shopping (venue and forum non conveniens reform), limit punitive damages and joint and several liability, cap noneconomic damages in medical malpractice litigation, deter baseless lawsuits, reform consumer protection statutes, and establish statutory standards for product liability cases. It has also vigorously opposed efforts to expand business liability through the creation of new causes of action, imposition of statutory duties, establishment of general qui tam authority, or extension of statutes of limitations. In addition, the League works to assure that regulatory and administrative processes and procedures are fair, equitable, and efficient and do not impose undue burdens or excessive penalties on Texas businesses. In this respect, as in its legislative projects, the League provides administrative and logistical support for coordinated efforts by business, trade, and professional associations on issues of common interest. If an issue relates to an important legal policy matter that affects the Texas business community, the League is the focal point of the business community’s response.
The League recognizes, however, that adverse court decisions can undermine or reverse hard-won legislative successes. The League closely monitors litigation trends in Texas courts, participates actively on behalf of its members as amicus in important appellate matters at both the state and federal levels, comments extensively on proposed rules of civil procedure and evidence, and advocates for competitive judicial compensation and adequate support and resources for the judiciary. The League is the only business association in Texas dedicated exclusively to establishing and maintaining a robust, well qualified, independent, and impartial judiciary.
To support its efforts in the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of state government, the League has an active and ongoing political education function that it exercises both directly to its membership and to the voting public through general purpose political committees, particularly Texas Civil Justice League PAC. Because Texas still elects trial and appellate judges in partisan elections, the League and its PAC dedicates the lion’s share of their political and campaign activities to the election of highly qualified, fair, and impartial judicial candidates. The League also lends political support to legislative and executive branch candidates who have proven their willingness to work with the League to address legal policy issues.
For more than three decades the League has represented the common interests of Texas businesses and individuals in an accessible, efficient, and impartial civil justice system. The success of these efforts may be found in the ongoing strength of Texas’ economic climate and dynamism. Becoming a member of the Texas Civil Justice League is the best way to assure that this record of success continues long into the future.