Remember the lady who scalded herself you-know-where with a cup of McDonald’s coffee? Were you sympathetic to her complaint or was a lame joke immediately forthcoming? Yes, even some enlightened progressive thinkers (well, me) heard about this one and went “Oh come on!” But whose version of the facts were we responding to? Only McD’s had the ability to spin the story to a national audience, until now. Not for nothing is this the case that corporate interests like to trot out when advocating “tort reform”. The Rhode Island Association for Justice is hosting a screening of the documentary Hot Coffee: Is Justice Being Served? followed by a discussion. Find out for yourself: What exactly is meant by “tort reform”? Who wants it and why?
Join us for a film screening and panel discussion with former public interest lawyer, first-time filmmaker and director/producer Susan Saladoff. A thought-provoking documentary, Hot Coffee follows four storylines, including the legal battle that began with a spilled cup of coffee, to investigate what’s behind America’s zeal for tort reform and challenge the audience’s misconceptions about our civil justice system.
Joining Saladoff on the panel: Carl T. Bogus Roger Williams University School of Law; the Honorable Alice B. Gibney, Chief Judge of the Rhode Island Superior Court; David A. Logan, Dean and Professor RW University School of Law; and attorney R. Kelly Sheridan. For more details, or to order the dvd, go to the Hot Coffee website where you can also check out Saladoff’s appearance last month on The Colbert Report. She’s awesome.
Attention attorneys: This has been approved for 2 CLE credits, and it’s free!
(RSVP to RIAJ Executive Director Lisa St. Pierre at rijustice@rijustice.org or 401.273.8820.)
Free and open to public, 6:30 to 8:30pm, Tuesday, November 29, RISD Auditorium, 17 Canal Street