Chamber announces legal reform awards

WASHINGTON, D.C.-The U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform announced today the recipients of the 2006 Legal Reform Awards.

"The five individuals and two organizations selected to receive the prestigious award have all played a significant role in legal reform successes over the course of the last year," according to Lisa Rickard, president of ILR.

"All of us who support a fairer, faster, and simpler civil justice system are fortunate to have champions such as these as our colleagues in the fight," she said.

Senator Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) will receive the Federal Legislative Award in recognition of his staunch support of legal reform in the U.S. Senate for many years, including his lead sponsorship of the Common Sense Consumption Act.

A State Legislative Award is being presented jointly to Tom Lee, President of the Florida Senate, and Allan Bense, Speaker of the Florida House, for their leadership and hard work in bringing about passage of important legal reforms in the state of Florida, including the reform of joint and several liability, the culmination of a decade long effort.

Georgia State Attorney General Thurbert Baker has been chosen for the Individual Achievement Award based on his role as president of the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG), where he has helped to broaden cooperation between state officials and the business community, as well as his sustained success as a legal reform leader in Georgia.

Judge Ben Tennille has been slated to receive the Judicial Award for his leadership role in promoting the creation of business courts in the United States.

The Research Award is being presented to the Manhattan Institute Center for Legal Policy for their Trial Lawyers, Inc series which takes a hard and thorough look at the business model of the plaintiffs' bar, helping to shed light on the inner workings of the lawsuit industry.

AEI-Brookings Judicial Education Program is being awarded the Organization Award because of the important educational tools they have provided the judiciary in order to better understand the principles of law and economics.

The awards will be presented to the respective recipients at the Institute for Legal Reform's 2006 Legal Reform Summit on October 26 in Washington, D.C.

The Madison County Record is owned by the Institute for Legal Reform, an affiliate of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.