Issues
Where CALA Stands
America's civil justice system was built to resolve disputes fairly and efficiently. When the litigation system is weaponized for profit rather than justice, working families pay more for everyday goods, like gas, groceries, healthcare, premiums, and housing. Small businesses face shakedown lawsuits they cannot afford to fight. Courts become clogged with cases designed to extract settlements rather than resolve disputes.
Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse works on the front lines of civil justice reform, engaging on the legal reform issues that matter most to working families, small businesses, and communities across the country.
Every state has its own legal landscape. Our CALA states work directly in their communities, fighting for commonsense legal reform in their home. Learn more about the issues in our state-based CALA chapters:
Consumer and Small Business Protections
When predatory litigation targets neighborhood restaurants, retailers, contractors, and service providers, the result is shuttered businesses, higher prices, and fewer choices for consumers. Economists estimate that excessive litigation costs American households thousands of dollars per year in the form of a hidden "tort tax" embedded in the price of everyday goods and services. CALA amplifies the voices of small business owners and everyday citizens who bear these costs and advocates for reforms that put consumers and communities first.
Frivolous Lawsuits and Lawsuit Abuse
Lawsuit abuse occurs when the legal system is exploited for financial gain rather than genuine redress. Frivolous lawsuits filed with little or no legal merit impose real costs on defendants, courts, and consumers. These cases divert resources from legitimate claims, burden small businesses with expensive legal defense, and drive up costs across the economy.
In some states, serial litigation targeting businesses for technical, non-injurious violations has become a cottage industry, shaking down small-business owners who lack the resources to fight back. CALA supports reforms that deter meritless litigation while preserving meaningful access to the courts.
Legal Services Advertising
Aggressive legal services advertising has fueled a surge in lawsuit abuse across the country. Legal services advertising on television, radio, social media, and billboards actively recruits plaintiffs, normalizes litigation as a first resort, and inflates demand for lawsuits. The result is more lawsuits, higher premiums, and a legal culture that benefits plaintiffs' attorneys far more than the clients they claim to represent. CALA supports transparency and accountability in legal advertising to ensure that Americans seeking legal help receive honest information, not a sales pitch designed to maximize litigation volume.
Third-Party Litigation Funding
Third-party litigation funding (TPLF) occurs when outside investors, often hedge funds or foreign entities, bankroll lawsuits in exchange for a cut of any eventual settlement or judgment. This turns litigation into a financial product, incentivizing more lawsuits, prolonging cases, and inflating settlement demands. Estimates suggest that TPLF imposes hundreds of dollars per year in hidden costs passed through higher premiums and consumer prices. CALA supports transparency and disclosure requirements that reveal who is funding litigation, why, and at what return.
Americans with Disabilities Act Lawsuit Abuse
The ADA was enacted to protect the rights and dignity of Americans with disabilities — but serial plaintiffs and opportunistic trial lawyers have turned it into a tool for financial extraction. Across the country, small businesses, restaurants, and retailers are targeted with technical ADA violation claims — often filed by plaintiffs who never visited the business and suffered no real harm. CALA supports reforms that give businesses a fair opportunity to cure alleged violations before litigation begins, ensuring the ADA fulfills its original promise rather than serving as a profit center for lawsuit abuse.
Runaway Verdicts and Excessive Damages
Multi-million-dollar jury awards have surged in recent years across the country. These outsized judgments drive up premiums, force businesses to restrict services, and ultimately get passed on to consumers through higher prices. The problem is compounded by litigation tactics designed to inflate damages rather than compensate victims fairly. CALA advocates for reasonable standards that ensure injured parties are made whole without turning courtrooms into lottery venues.
Judicial Fairness and Court Transparency
A fair civil justice system depends on impartial courts, consistent rules, and procedures that apply equally to all parties. Venue shopping, the practice of steering lawsuits into jurisdictions known for runaway verdicts and plaintiff-friendly outcomes, distorts justice. CALA supports reforms that promote judicial accountability, fair venue standards, and transparency in how cases are filed, funded, and resolved.
Forum & Venue Shopping
Lawsuit abuse starts with where cases are filed, not when cases take form in the courtroom. Plaintiffs' attorneys strategically steer cases into jurisdictions known for plaintiff-friendly judges, outsized jury verdicts, and loose evidentiary standards, regardless of where the underlying dispute actually occurred. CALA advocates for commonsense venue reforms that require cases to be heard where they belong — in the communities actually connected to the dispute.
Healthcare and Access to Care
Excessive medical liability litigation and frivolous healthcare lawsuits increase costs, push physicians out of high-risk specialties, and reduce patient access to care, particularly in rural and underserved communities. The hidden litigation tax in healthcare costs is a direct consequence of the abuse of the legal system. CALA supports legal reforms that protect patients and providers alike, ensuring that the threat of meritless litigation does not stand between Americans and the care they need.
Get Involved
These lawsuit abuse issues reflect the core principles driving CALA's advocacy, but the work doesn't happen without citizens like you. Whether you have been personally affected by lawsuit abuse or simply believe in a fairer legal system, your voice matters.