By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff
The U.S. House of Representatives approved a SEMA-supported bill that would require federal judges to impose monetary sanctions against lawyers who file frivolous lawsuits. Under current law, federal judges are allowed but not required to impose penalties. The “Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act” (LARA) would also eliminate a provision in current law that allows lawyers to avoid penalties by withdrawing frivolous claims after sanction proceedings have begun. Courts could also award the prevailing parties reasonable expenses and attorney's fees in defending against a frivolous lawsuit. The bill has been sent to the Senate for consideration.
For more information, contact Dan Sadowski at dans@sema.org.