The Association of Trial Lawyers of America, or ATLA, is the leading organization for lawyers representing plaintiffs in the United States. It provides information and professional assistance to its members. For information on the type of fish called Lawyer, see the article on Burbot. ... A plaintiff, also known as a claimant, or a complainant is the party who initiates a lawsuit (also known as an action) before a court. ...

ATLA also engages in lobbying on matters of concern to its members and their clients: "ATLA supports the civil justice system as a fundamental check on the power of businesses and governments and opposes efforts to limit the legal rights of citizens." [1] It has opposed many changes that were promoted by their supporters as "tort reform," including the Class Action Fairness Act of 2005. A president of ATLA, Frederick Baron, once joked about its power in a 2002 speech explaining why a bill to reform asbestos litigation would not pass: “I picked up my Wall Street Journal last night…and what did I learn? ‘The plaintiffs’ bar is all but running the Senate.’ Now, I really strongly disagree with that, particularly the words ‘all but.’” Lobbying is the practice of private advocacy with the goal of influencing a governing body, in order to ensure that an individuals or organizations point of view is represented in the government. ... A tort reform is a change in the tort law or procedure. ... The U.S. Class Action Fairness Act of 2005, 28 U.S.C. Sections 1332(d), 1453, and 1711-1715, grants federal courts original jurisdiction over certain mass actions and class actions (forms of civil action) in which the amount in controversy exceeds $5 million, and any of the members... Frederick Martin Baron (1947 - ) is a prominent asbestos attorney; founder of Baron & Budd, P.C., a Dallas law firm; a former president of the American Trial Lawyers Association; and a prominent fund-raiser for the Democratic Party and John Edwards. ... 2002 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Asbestos (Greek a-, not; sbestos, extinguishable) is a group of fibrous metamorphic minerals. ... The Wall Street Journal is an influential international daily newspaper published in New York City, New York with an average daily circulation of 1,800,607 (2002). ...

External links

• ATLA website
• Walter Olson, "The Lawsuit Lobby"