Critical Mass: 'A Moral Issue': Black Mass Tort Lawyers on George Floyd Protests. Two Women Launch New Plaintiffs' Firm. Find Out Who's Fighting a COVID-19 Insurance MDL.
Two prominent African-American lawyers in mass torts, one for plaintiffs and one for defendants, share what the protests mean to them personally and professionally.
June 10, 2020 at 06:14 PM
7 minute read
Welcome to Critical Mass, Law.com's weekly briefing for class action and mass tort attorneys. Two prominent African-American lawyers in mass torts, one for plaintiffs and one for defendants, talked to me about what the protests meant to them personally and professionally. Two lawyers launched a women-run plaintiffs' firm in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Insurance firms, and some plaintiffs, do not want an MDL for cases brought over denied business interruption claims.
Feel free to reach out to me with your input. You can email me at [email protected], or follow me on Twitter: @abronstadlaw.
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Mass Tort Lawyers Remark on Mass Protests
Joining the protesters hitting the streets in recent weeks over the death of George Floyd and police brutality were two prominent African-American lawyers in mass torts: Navan Ward (Beasley Allen) and Lisa Gilford (Sidley Austin).
I spoke to both of them about their reactions to the protests, both personally and professionally.
"This is a moral issue."
Ward, who is vice president of the American Association for Justice, told me:
"Floyd is the most recent in a long list of issues, of something I live with, other black and brown men and women trial attorneys live with, that is so ingrained in our life it's part of who we are, as part of a trial lawyer. It may, in some instances, allow us to better understand many of the clients we represent, as well as better understand many of the people in the juries that we have in cases in front of us, possibly unlike some of my non-black or brown colleagues." On what makes these protests different from those of the past, he said:
"We're at a point where many of our allies to justice, men and women, are forced to see what's going on, and there is no distraction they can participate in where it doesn't affect them as much, like it may have in the past. Now they're forced to see it, forced to deal with it. This is a moral issue, and anyone with any type of moral compass, with a conscience, should be affected by what they see."
"This is a moment in history I hope we will not squander" Gilford, who has worked with the NAACP's Legal Defense Fund on advocacy and fundraising for police reform initiatives, told me:
"I'm a little bit exhausted, because this is an issue I've been thinking about that's impacted me and my family personally, that I've been fighting for for years, but I'm also hopeful because I don't feel that I'm doing so alone now. And there is enough public attention and public outrage to put into place some long, long, long, overdue reforms and safeguards to fix the problem." About the legal community, she said:
"I've seen public and internal statements by managing partners of large law firms that I think really demonstrate a commitment on the part of the legal profession to ensuring racial equity, which I think is important. My law firm and others have committed their financial resources to civil rights organizations and committed to an extra effort to pro bono, providing pro bono assistance to racial justice issues, and it makes me proud to be part of a profession that recognizes their role in ensuring equal justice and racial justice in this country. This is a moment in history I hope we will not squander, and I have been pleased with the level of response and engagement I've seen, at least from private firms, on this issue."
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