Gary Hart: “Too often our current class action system allows trial lawyers to enrich themselves without benefiting those that those…”

“Too often our current class action system allows trial lawyers to enrich themselves without benefiting those that those lawyers represent. As presented, though, H.R. 2341 would have corrective influence on this problem, particularly by allowing the removal of more interstate class actions from the State courts to the Federal courts. Empirical data indicate that this problem of attorneys getting the biggest piece of class action settlements is fundamentally a State court problem. Our Federal courts have done a far better job of ensuring that that does not happen. Though I do support the bill in all its respect, I would like to add one modest piece to the legislation that I believe would aid in ensuring that these class actions do benefit to serve the class members, not just the attorneys. The amendment is a request by Congress that the Judicial Conference of the United States, our Federal judges, prepare for the House and Senate Committees on the Judiciary a report on class action settlements.”