President Bush and Frivolous Lawsuits

In an article today in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, reporter William Lamb notes that this week's visit by President Bush to Madison County might be due to "the county's reputation in some circles as a haven for so-called frivolous lawsuits."

Since anyone with a piece of paper and the requisite filing fee can start a lawsuit, it follows that some lawsuits will lack merit. To say, however, that the country's civil justice system is marred by frivolous lawsuits is false. The idea that most lawsuits are frivolous is a myth.

I have written about this myth, sometimes in a humorous way, on Notes from the (Legal) Underground.  See, for example, these posts: Trial Lawyer Draws Gun, Then Tells a Story, and Advice to Trial Lawyers #3.