• Are you a member of Tyson chicken or H&R Block Express IRA class action settlements?
• Jim Copland on Harry Reid and the trial bar. [NRO]
• Jim Copland on the Ground Zero settlement, which may pay lawyers $200 million—but the judge plans fee scrutiny. [NY Post; NY Daily News]
• Kevin LaCroix interviews the Circle of Greed authors. [D&O Diary]
• Judgeships: Rhode Island lead paint trial lawyer in despite mediocre rating, but Sri Srinivasan out because of his clients—not Al Qaeda, but, heaven forfend, eeeevil corporations like Hertz.
• There’s no evidence that workers on automotive brakes (which sometimes contain asbestos) get mesothelioma at a greater rate than the rest of the population, but auto companies still get sued over it. Ford fought one in Madison County, rather than settle, and won. [Madison County Record]
• Overview of defensive medicine at work. [AP]
• Pantsless Rielle Hunter on John Edwards: “He’s very honest and truthful.” [GQ]

Filed under: asbestos, Bill Lerach, class action settlements, defensive medicine, Ford Motor, Ground Zero dust lawsuits, Harry Reid, judicial nominations, Madison County, politics, Rhode Island, Rielle Hunter