MADISON, Wis. - Don't look for the government to protect us when faulty products threaten lives. That's the message trial lawyers gathering in Milwaukee this week will hear from trial lawyer Lance Cooper of Atlanta.

Although government watchdog agencies such as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration are staffed with well-intentioned and well-qualified people, Cooper said, they're usually underfunded and more often than not at the mercy of the manufacturers.

Cooper, who successfully sued General Motors on behalf of a client who was killed because of a faulty ignition switch, said the civil jury system is critical to obtaining justice.

"Just over the past 3 or 4 years with the Toyota sudden-acceleration problem, of course the GM ignition switch problem, and now the Takata air bag problem," he said, "these are all problems that were reported to the federal government but it took civil litigation to bring those cases and those problems to the forefront."

Trial lawyers often are perceived as greedy ambulance-chasers, Cooper said, but too often litigation has been more effective than government regulatory agencies at reforming shoddy business practices. According to Cooper, when juries speak, corporate America listens.

Cooper will speak in Milwaukee on Friday to a gathering of trial lawyers at a Wisconsin Association for Justice meeting about the importance of having a strong civil-justice system.

"The founding fathers understood that - as far as the necessity of a right to trial by jury, because they understood that the government at times either would overstep its bounds or would not do enough to protect its citizens," he said. "Without a robust civil justice system, the system just wouldn't work."

Eighteen-year-old Natasha Weigel of the village of Hammond in St. Croix County was killed in a 2006 crash involving a General Motors car with a faulty ignition switch. Cooper did not represent her family in their case against GM, but did represent survivors of another young woman who was killed in a similar crash.

"We handled this like we handle any other product liability case," Cooper said. "The benefits of our system, and in particular the responsibility that we as trial lawyers have in representing consumers, is often times it's not only the individual case; the tort system is to benefit society as a whole."

Madison, WI - An attorney who successfully sued General Motors on behalf of the family of a client who was one of several people killed because of cars with a faulty ignition switch will tell lawyers gathering in Milwaukee this week (Friday) that government watchdog agencies like the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration can't be relied on to protect consumers. Comments Lance Cooper, trial lawyer, Atlanta. Image available: photo of Cooper

Don't look for the government to protect us when faulty products threaten lives. That's the message trial lawyers gathering in Milwaukee this week will hear from trial lawyer Lance Cooper of Atlanta. He says although government watchdog agencies like the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration are staffed with well-intentioned and well-qualified people, they're usually underfunded and more often than not at the mercy of the manufacturers. Cooper successfully sued General Motors on behalf of a client who was killed because of a faulty ignition switch. He says the civil jury system is critical to obtaining justice.

"Just over the past 3 or 4 years with the Toyota sudden acceleration problem, of course the GM ignition switch problem, and now the Takata air bag problem - these are all problems that were reported to the federal government but it took civil litigation to bring those cases and those problems to the forefront."

Cooper says trial lawyers are often perceived as greedy ambulance-chasers but, he says, too often litigation has been more effective than government regulatory agencies at reforming shoddy business practices. According to Cooper, when juries speak, corporate America listens.

Cooper will speak in Milwaukee Friday to a gathering of trial lawyers at a Wisconsin Association for Justice meeting about the importance of having a strong civil justice system.

"The founding fathers understood that - as far as the necessity of a right to trial by jury, because they understood that the government at times either would overstep its bounds or would not do enough to protect its citizens. Without a robust civil justice system, the system just wouldn't work."

An 18-year-old Wisconsin woman, Natasha Weigel (WY-gul) of the village of Hammond in St. Croix (croy) County, was killed in a 2006 crash involving a GM car with a faulty ignition switch. Cooper did not represent her family in their case against GM, but did represent survivors of another young woman who was killed in a similar crash.

"We handled this like we handle any other product liability case. The benefits of our system, and in particular the responsibility that we as trial lawyers have in representing consumers, is often times it's not only the individual case - the tort system is to benefit society as a whole."


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Montana citizens and environmental advocates have sued the state for withholding documents that have, for decades, been considered public information.

The division that provides bill drafting and other support to the Montana Legislature has announced a new policy that requires a legislator's approval before releasing documents to the public.

That includes all the correspondence and communication that goes into drafting a bill, including lawmakers conferring with lobbyists and other legislators.

Upper Seven Law's Founder Rylee Sommers-Flanagan said Montana's Constitution protects residents' right to know about and participate in the legislative process.

"The right to know is meant to protect our ability to examine the documents of any public agency," said Sommers-Flanagan. "This includes all Executive Branch agencies. It includes all aspects of the Legislature. Anything that relates to their official business belongs to the people of Montana."

A Helena judge over the summer ruled that correspondence used to draft bills - so called "junque files" - are not public record, reversing a 25-year-old policy.

Sommers-Flanagan argued the move undermines transparency, which she said has been the backbone of Montana's lawmaking process, and calls into question interactions between lawmakers and lobbyists who often work together to create a bill.

"We could literally be deprived of opportunity to see bribery happening in writing," said Sommers-Flanagan. "And, of course, I doubt that our legislators are engaged in bribery - but what this does is, it protects them fully from any sort of disclosure around what they might be exchanging."

The rule was implemented when a district court ruled in favor of a state senator who argued that junque files related to a gerrymandering law should not be made public.




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The state Supreme Court has upheld a law giving Nebraskans with prior felony convictions the right to vote once they have completed their sentence.

Proponents of the measure are calling it a hard-fought victory to restore full rights to citizens who have paid their debt to society.

State lawmakers challenged a clause in the state's 1875 constitution disenfranchising people with felony convictions for life.

Steve Smith, director of communications with the group Civic Nebraska, said the ruling ends a decades-long legal battle.

"Had the court ruled the underlying statute is unconstitutional, those folks would have been out of luck," said Smith. "And so, the stakes were pretty high. In a state the size of Nebraska, that's close to 10% of the electorate. It's about 100,000 voters."

Smith said eligible people must register in person by 6 p.m. on Oct. 25 at their county's local elections office.

Smith said the ruling negates an order by the secretary of state blocking county officials from registering former felons despite a bipartisan bill that eliminated a two year waiting period for people with convictions.

He said the requirements to register have been simplified.

"It is fully completing your sentence. And so, the term is 'off-papers,'" said Smith. "And most folks who have been justice-impacted understand what off-papers mean. They've served any term of incarceration. They have completed any terms of parole, probation or supervised release, and they have not reoffended."

Smith said his organization and other are urging people who are now eligible to register and to vote, calling it both a civil right and a civic duty.

"For those of you going, 'I don't know if I want to do this,' know that the Supreme Court, the highest court in our state, has said, 'You are good to go, and you should vote with confidence,'" said Smith. "If you're on the fence about not voting, think about how hard some people tried to keep your vote away from you, and then wonder why that is."

Support for this reporting was provided by the Carnegie Corporation of New York.


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One in three Americans indicates they're living paycheck-to-paycheck, and that includes many artists. A Minnesota organization is expanding its guaranteed-income program for these individuals, so they can carry on with their creative contributions.

This fall, Springboard for the Arts announced it was tacking on more years and recipients to its pilot initiative, launched early in the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ricardo Beaird, community development director for Springboard for the Arts, said the changes mean that over the next five years, a total of 100 participants will receive monthly payments of $500, no strings attached. He said they're building a case for systemic change in how artists are supported.

"Artists are vital to the cultural and economic fabric of our communities. They help us imagine new futures. They help us rethink public spaces and they create connections that make our lives richer and more meaningful," Beaird explained.

But he added that artists tend to operate in a "gig economy" and often fall through the cracks because financial stability is out of reach. Based on initial program data, 36% of recipients used the income for essential purchases and services. This effort is part of a patchwork of similar programs surfacing around the U.S. for low-income populations, including one led by the city of St. Paul.

Springboard's guaranteed-income program, funded by private foundations, helps artists in St. Paul and rural Otter Tail County. Beaird said they're also trying to be more dynamic with their assistance by offering things such as personal finance guidance, and added that can help artists overcome the short-term thinking they're often locked in.

"I'm a theater artist, so the way that I thought about my year was in these six-week bursts, and it didn't really give me the opportunity to think about, 'What does my next year look like, or my next two years, or five years look like?" he continued.

Another benefit is helping emerging artists be more financially resilient when dealing with unexpected expenses, such as a hospital bill or car repair.


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