When a lawsuit between a civil plaintiff and a corporate defendant gets appealed, the deck is often stacked against the plaintiff. This article discusses the gap in access to expert appellate representation between plaintiffs and defendants, and how the imbalance enables wealthy corporations to shape the legal landscape to their benefit. The systemic consequence of only one side having access to appellate representation is a body of legal precedent that entrenches corporate power and makes it harder for individuals to vindicate their rights. Plaintiff-side groups are working to increase appellate representation, and law schools should encourage students to be a part of the solution.
Simone Unwalla, in The [F]law, brilliantly exposes how corporate interests dominate civil appellate litigation and what we can do about it. Read her excellent article: “David vs Goliath: How Corporate Interests Dominate Civil Appellate Litigation & What We Can Do About It.”
Related Systemic Justice Project Resources
From The [F]law:
- Logan Campbell, What ‘Good’ is Pro Bono?
- Ellie Olsen, The Dirty Work of America’s Legal Darlings
- Amy Hayes, Signing Away Your Rights: Forced Arbitration—Overcoming Corporate “Get Out Jail Free Cards” and Finding Avenues for Justice
- Delana Sobhani, A New Dawn For Corporate America: How the Rich and Powerful Use Bankruptcy to Evade Accountability
From The Systemic Justice Journal:
- Allison Beeman, Child Labor in the Global Cocoa Supply Chain: What Nestlé Tells Us About Corporate Harm
- Sam Rosen, Clauses and Consent: How Forced Arbitration Quietly Took Over Everything
- HLS Student, The Moral of the Marketplace: Profit – Big Oil’s Prioritization of Profit Over Environmental and Human Safety