Calls for Judicial Reforms Grow as Defense Lawyers and Drugmakers Push for Tougher Mass Tort Rule

The U.S. Judicial Conference's Advisory Committee on Civil Rules has agreed to examine whether to address the issue of "judge shopping" by state attorneys general and activists who file lawsuits challenging government policies in courthouses where a single sympathetic judge hears most cases. Senate Democrats have urged the committee to craft nationwide rules to ensure random assignment of judges, while some panel members downplayed the significance of forum shopping and questioned the authority to dictate case assignments. The committee will study the issue and issue a report at its next meeting in April. The move comes in response to lawsuits filed in single-judge divisions in Texas, and proposals for reform have been made by Senate Democrats, the Brennan Center for Justice, and the American Bar Association.