Registration

2009 ANNUAL LEGAL REFORM SUMMIT

Sen. Jeff Sessions addresses 2009 Legal Reform Summit

Sen. Jeff Sessions addressed the 2009 Legal Reform Summit.

Calling the next few years a transformational time that could define the future of our civil justice system, speakers at the U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform’s (ILR) 10th Annual Legal Reform Summit urged U.S. decision makers to consider the costs of expanding liability for job creators during the economic recovery.

Read the press release

The event featured a legislative keynote address by U.S. Senator Jeff Sessions, Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and a keynote luncheon address by Jeb Bush, former governor of Florida. In addition, Tom Donohue, President and CEO, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, provided special remarks.

Throughout the day, ILR unveiled a number of new research pieces to help influence the legal reform debate including:

The Summit also featured distinguished panelists exploring a variety of timely legal topics, including:

Courting New Money: Third Party Financing of Litigation and its Consequences. Should Outside Investors Have a Stake? Academics released new research and discussed and debated the growing trend of third parties financing lawsuits.
Climate Change: The New Mass Tort for the 21st Century? Panelists spoke to the legal theories and trends in climate change litigation as well as regulatory and legislative developments and their impact on the business community.
Judicial Selection: Defining Best Practices in Nominating States. ILR released a “best practices” guide to judicial selection in nomination states.
It’s Economics Stupid: Exploring the Relationship Between Lawsuits and Rising Healthcare Costs. Jeb Bush facilitated a panel discussion on the economic impact of lawsuits on the practice of medicine and rising healthcare costs.
Trial Lawyer Crystal Ball: Predictions and Prognostications on the Road Ahead. We hosted a discussion on the trial bar’s priorities.

In addition, the Chamber honored those working to improve America’s litigation environment with the ILR Legal Reform Awards. The 2009 recipients included Sen. Jeff Sessions for legislative achievement, former Supreme Court of Arizona Chief Justice Ruth V. McGregor for judicial achievement, the State Chamber of Oklahoma for state leadership, and the Searle Civil Justice Institute at Northwestern University School of Law for outstanding research.

SUMMIT AGENDA

The following agenda (PDF version) is final.

7:45 a.m. – 8:15 a.m.	Registration and Continental Breakfast
8:15 a.m. – 8:30 a.m.	Welcoming Remarks Lisa A. Rickard, President, U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform
8:30 a.m. – 8:55 a.m.	Legislative Keynote U.S. Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL), Ranking Member, U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee Introduced by: Lisa A. Rickard, President, U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform
8:55 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.	Legal Reform Award PresentationLegislative Achievement Award U.S. Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL), Ranking Member, U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee Presented by: Lisa A. Rickard, President, U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform
9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.	Courting New Money: Third Party Financing of Litigation and Its Consequences. Should Outside Investors Have a Stake? John Beisner, Partner, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP Stephen B. Presser, Raoul Berger Professor of Legal History, Northwestern University School of Law Jonathan T. Molot, Professor of Law, Georgetown University Law Center Paul H. Rubin, Samuel Candler Dobbs Professor of Economics and Professor of Law and Economics, Emory University Introduced and moderated by: Geoffrey J. Lysaught, Senior Director, Policy, Research, and Communications and Chief of Staff, Searle Center on Law, Regulation, and Economic Growth, Northwestern University School of Law
10:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.	Networking Break
10:15 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.	Climate Change: The New Mass Tort for the 21st Century? Richard Faulk, Partner, Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP Donald G. Gifford, Edward M. Robertson Professor of Law, University of Maryland School of Law Introduced and moderated by: Paul E. Gutermann, Partner, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP
11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.	Judicial Selection: Defining Best Practices in Nominating States Introductory Remarks by the Honorable Ruth V. McGregor, Chief Justice, Arizona Supreme Court (Ret.) Leonard A. Leo, Executive Vice President, The Federalist Society Bert Brandenburg, Executive Director, Justice at Stake Moderated by: Thomas A. Gottschalk, Of Counsel, Kirkland & Ellis, LLP
12:00 p.m. – 12:15 p.m.	Transition Break
12:15 p.m. – 1:45 p.m.	Annual Legal Reform Awards LuncheonSpecial Remarks Thomas J. Donohue, President and Chief Executive Officer, U.S. Chamber of Commerce Keynote Address The Honorable Jeb Bush, Former Governor, State of Florida 2009 Legal Reform Awards State Leadership Award The State Chamber of Oklahoma Judicial Achievement Award The Honorable Ruth V. McGregor, Chief Justice, Arizona Supreme Court (Ret.) Research Award The Searle Civil Justice Institute at Northwestern University School of Law Presented by: Lisa A. Rickard, President, U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform
1:45 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.	Transition Break
2:00 p.m. – 2:45 p.m.	It’s Economics Stupid: Exploring the Relationship Between Lawsuits and Rising Healthcare Costs Daniel P. Kessler, David S. and Ann M. Barlow Professor in Management, Stanford Graduate School of Business Philip K. Howard, Chair, Common Good, Vice Chair, Covington & Burling LLP Introduced and moderated by: The Honorable Jeb Bush, Former Governor, State of Florida
2:45 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.	Trial Lawyer Crystal Ball: Predictions and Prognostications on the Road Ahead Dana Perino, Chief Issues Counselor, Burson-Marsteller Michael Kinsley, Editor-in-Chief of forthcoming Atlantic Media website, Columnist, Atlantic Monthly Introduced and moderated by: Catherine “Kiki” McLean, Global Head, Public Affairs, Porter-Novelli
3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.	Networking Reception & Giveaway

EVENT SPONSORS

ILR thanks the sponsors of the 2009 Legal Reform Summit: