San Diego City Wire

The Civil Justice Association of California (CJAC) recently announced that it has developed a legislative scorecard system to rank California legislators efforts in supporting a fair and balanced civil justice system.

CJAC’s Balance Scorecards ranks state legislators based on their efforts and how they vote on key bills for civil justice.

The Balance Scorecards takes into account how California legislators voted on the floor, in policy committees, and final votes in appropriation committees. Scores were given extra weight to legislators’ efforts that were proactively favorable or unfavorable. Proactive actions include authoring bills and deliver floor speeches on high priority bills and bills containing private rights of action.

CJAC’s basis for deciding if efforts and votes were favorable in support of a balancing civil justice include supporting legislation that promotes balance in our civil justice system by providing protections against and promotes changes that remove unreasonable litigation burdens.

Legislators’ efforts and votes were deemed unfavorable if they create unfair or unwarranted liability expansions, promote frivolous litigation or otherwise create imbalance. 

CJAC also generally opposes creation of new private rights of action, since they allow private lawsuits under civil laws which are normally enforced by government because they incentivize suits that are primarily aimed at gaining profits that chiefly benefit the plaintiffs’ attorneys.

Key bills that CJAC used to determine scores included bills for taxation, civil liability and procedure, banking and lending, attorney’s  fees, evidence, labor/employment, and privacy.

Visitors can find the full list of key bills and information about how legislators on the bills on the CJAC's web site. 

The Civil Justice Association of California is committed to ensuring a balanced civil justice system to benefit all Californians and works to oppose laws and legislation that create unfair litigation burdens on California businesses, employees and communities.

Visitors can download the 2020 CJAC Balance Scorecards here.