California Environmental Quality Act at 40

With “one-way” fee entitlements — plaintiffs collect if successful, but do not pay if they lose — it is no wonder that the California Environmental Quality Act [CEQA] attracts tactical and opportunistic litigants, including some whose interest seems to lie more in legal fees than in environmental reform. “Unfortunately, it is not uncommon to see CEQA used by competitors to block new businesses from coming into their market or by unions trying to force businesses to accept labor agreements. Neither represents what CEQA was intended to do, and there should be protections so the law cannot be [hijacked] for such purposes.” [Cynthia Kurtz, Whittier Daily News via Todd Roberson, CJAC]

Attorney sues many legal bloggers, ABA, Washington Post…

After being widely criticized for his handling of a criminal case, a lawyer is now suing his critics by the dozen, including a raft of leading law bloggers; the case is already being dubbed “Rakofsky v. Internet.” A list of the many defendants is here (PDF) courtesy of defendant Mark Bennett, who has also compiled a compendium of blog posts that discuss the new action. Among defendants and others talking back: Eric Turkewitz, Colin Samuels, Scott Greenfield, Avvo, Keith Lee.

May 20 roundup

Judge’s impartiality questioned in $322 million Mississippi jury verdict

“In a motion filed Tuesday, attorneys for Union Carbide said Circuit Judge Eddie H. Bowen neglected to notify defense lawyers that his parents had been involved in similar asbestos litigation and had settled a case against Union Carbide.” A rural Mississippi jury earlier this month returned the largest asbestos verdict in American history, $322 million, against Union Carbide and other defendants. [AP/Stamford Advocate; Jackson Clarion-Ledger] More problems with verdict: Point of Law.