Does anyone have a point-by-point summary of how the class action bill

[Czolgosz]

harms individuals, how it unfairly benefits corporations at the expense of individuals, and which corporations paid for/co-wrote the bill?

[Czolgosz]

1. I have this so far

<http://www.legalunderground.com/2005/02/thinking_out_lo.html>

[Warpy]

2. I'd make an additional point

Local judges in the civil courts are elected and therefore accountable. Federal judges are appointed, and are therefore largely unaccountable to the people they are supposed to serve.

BIG difference.

[Czolgosz]

3. Great point. I hadn't thought of that.

Otherwise, in addition to your point, I take it the main points are:

corporations essentially bought the right that consumers now have to sue them in the corporation's backyard

corporations bought the right to drag class actions into federal court with unanimous juries as opposed to state court where the juries are often allowed to decide a case by less than a unanimous verdict

[grumpy old fart]

4. courts serve the law, not the people....

and the point of them being "unaccountable" is to insulate them from just the influence you're concerned with. I'm a trial lawyer, and no friend of "tort reform", but the "coupon" class actions that this bill addresses is not really something to get all worked up about...