Op-edsLet's 'Restructure' Washington While We're at It
Philip K. Howard, Wall Street Journal, December 19, 2008
Common Good Chair Philip K. Howard argues that it’s not only Detroit that needs ‘a complete restructuring,’ but also Washington itself. “Like Detroit,” he writes, “Washington has lost its way.”
Schools Keep Our Kids Safe from Hula-Hoops
Betsy Hart, Chicago Sun Times, September 5, 2008
Hart builds on Common Good Chair Philip K. Howard's Wall Street Journal op-ed, "Why Safe Kids Are Becoming Fat Kids." She focuses on how schools are overly concerned with protecting students from risk.
Why Safe Kids Are Becoming Fat Kids
Philip K. Howard, Wall Street Journal, August 13, 2008
Common Good Chair Philip K. Howard asks, how do we lure children who are victims of a safety-obsessed culture off the sofa? One way is to restore moderate risk into their activities.
Judges Should Take Back Their Authority
Philip K. Howard, The Huffington Post, June 14, 2007
Common Good Chair Philip K. Howard points to two lawsuits as examples of what's gone wrong with American justice. To take back control of the courtroom, judges need to draw the line on who can sue for what.
Conley R.I.P.
Philip K. Howard, New York Sun, June 4, 2007
Common Good Chair Philip K. Howard discusses the Supreme Court's recent repudiation of Conley v. Gibson, a 1957 case which opened the floodgates to abusive litigation, and argues that the Court should take responsibility for a shift in judicial approach towards affirmative assertion of values of reasonableness.
Beyond Tort Reform
Philip K. Howard, New York Sun, February 5, 2007
A Tree Falls in Connecticut
Philip K. Howard, New York Times, July 30, 2006
Making Civil Justice Sane
Philip K. Howard, City Journal, April 17, 2006
Judges should stop unreasonable lawsuits before they start.
When Fear Is Deadly
Philip K. Howard, The New York Sun, March 14, 2006
Common Good Chair Philip Howard argues that the case of Charles Cullen, the nurse who pleaded guilty to killing at least 29 patients in hospitals in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, demonstrates that we need reform in employment law so that fear of litigation does not stop supervisors from giving honest references about their employees.
Charity Case
Philip K. Howard, The Wall Street Journal, March 17, 2005
Common Good chair Philip K. Howard discusses how volunteerism has become the latest casualty of American justice.
It's No Fun Playing Torts
Philip K. Howard, Legal Times, November 15, 2004
This op-ed by Common Good chair Philip K. Howard argues that "[T]he core question in civil justice--who can sue for what--must be decided as a matter of law by judges, not by juries on an ad hoc basis."
Impose Legal Limits to Preserve Freedoms
Griffin Bell and Alan Simpson, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, March 5, 2004
Former U.S. Attorney General Griffin Bell and former U.S. Senator Alan Simpson, both Common Good Advisory Board members, argue that Congress must draw the line on who can sue for what. "What's really at stake ... is ... the health and vitality of common institutions such as schools and hospitals and, ultimately, the fabric of a free society."
When Judges Won't Judge
Philip K. Howard, The Wall Street Journal, October 22, 2003
Common Good chair Philip K. Howard argues that judges must act as gatekeepers, drawing the line on who can sue for what.
Stifling the Civil Service
Steven Kelman, July 31, 2003
An op-ed by CG Advisory Board Member Steven Kelman, who argues that "we have too much bureaucracy in government, and not enough incentives for our civil servants to be creative and innovative."
A Basis for Reform
Steve Kelman, FCW.Com, January 27, 2003
CG Advisory Board Member Steve Kelman comments on the Volcker Commission report.
The Death of Common Sense
Philip K. Howard, Ob. Gyn. News, January 1, 2003
"For every lawsuit, there are millions and probably billions of decisions made or not made reasonably, every day, because of fear of the system. It has literally changed our culture."
A Drag on Our National Security
Philip K. Howard, The Washington Post, October 15, 2002
"What's ultimately needed is a new deal for public servants. The civil service system is broken. Its worst flaw -- that it suppresses the human element needed to get the job done -- is precisely what America cannot afford when ferreting out the terrorists trying to destroy the fabric of our free society."
Everybody Loses
Philip K. Howard, Daily News, September 29, 2002
"Open the door to litigation over fairness after a mass tragedy, and no one will ever be satisfied."
Facing the Limits of Law, and of Lawsuits
Philip K. Howard, New York Times, September 21, 2002
"An important lesson of Sept. 11 is that Americans must come together and face the future with a new awareness of our risks and responsibilities. Descending into a pit of litigation and recrimination cannot satisfy the families of victims; their loss can never be satisfied. But this litigation will harm all of society."
There Is No Right to Sue
Philip K. Howard, The Wall Street Journal, July 31, 2002
"The point of law is not to let anyone sue for anything. Law's goal is closer to the opposite: to draw the boundaries of who can sue for what."
We're Reaping What We Sue
George S. McGovern and Alan K. Simpson, Wall Street Journal, April 17, 2002
Former U.S. Senators from opposite sides of the aisle, George S. McGovern and Alan K. Simpson write, "Lawsuits, a vital tool of justice, support a free society only when judges and legislatures take the responsibility of deciding who can sue for what. Otherwise, fear replaces freedom." Mr. McGovern and Mr. Simpson are both Common Good Advisory Board Members.
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