Plaintiff Bias in Philadelphia Courts?

A law professor has conducted a study finding that Philadelphia courts are more attractive to plaintiffs than other courts and hence many plaintiffs with no connection to the area file suit there. Study shows plaintiff bias in Philly courts, LegalNewsline.com, Feb. 6, 2012. A plaintiff's lawyer interviewed for LegalNewsline's article cites other explanations for the data – for instance, many asbestos cases are filed in Philadelphia because workers were exposed at the Philadelphia Navy Shipyard during World War II.

The study is by Prof. Joshua D. Wright (George Mason), who is also the Director of Research for the International Center for Law and Economics (ICLE), which published the study. The report, originally released in fall 2011, is available with a supplemental appendix released this month here.

Pennsylvania House Bill 1976 would address the practice of choosing Philadelphia courts because of their perceived openness to plaintiffs' claims. Pa. lawmaker behind 'venue shopping' bill discusses legislation, LegalNewsline.com, Dec. 5, 2011.