Proposed Rule 11 Amendment

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The Lawsuit Abuse Reform Act—H.R. 4571—would reinstate provisions in Rule 11 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure that require federal judges to sanction attorneys who file lawsuits determined to be frivolous under the rule’s guidelines. The rule was amended in 1993 to give judges discretion over the imposition of sanctions. The committee also approved an amendment to the bill that requires a federal court to bar an attorney who files three frivolous suits in that court from appearing before the court for one year. LARA, which was introduced by Rep. Lamar Smith, R-Texas, also contains provisions to curb so-called forum-shopping, in which plaintiffs attorneys select the most favorable venues in which to file suits.