WASHINGTON, D.C., October 9, 2018 – The American Tort Reform Association (ATRA) today praised Michigan attorney general candidate Tom Leonard for embracing good-government principles by signing ATRA’s 2018 Transparency Code pledge and for his promise to support some version of the Transparency in Private Attorney Contracting (TiPAC) model legislation supported by ATRA.
“By signing our pledge, Tom Leonard proved that he is committed to transparent, accountable government,” said ATRA president Tiger Joyce. “We are still awaiting a response from the other candidate running in the election and are hopeful we will receive favorable responses soon,” added Joyce.
ATRA developed the Transparency Code as a collection of model policies that should govern the use of outside counsel by state attorneys general. ATRA is committed to working with state and local leaders to improve national competitiveness by removing the excessive barriers our civil justice system poses to economic development and job creation. Naturally, attorneys general play an important role in these efforts as a state’s head officer.
Such officers need the discretion and independence to enforce the laws of their respective states free from the influence of parties that may have a private interest in the outcome of litigation. Therefore, the American Tort Reform Association (ATRA) has asked both candidates in the Michigan attorney general race to sign a transparency code pledge.
“In every instance, the attorney general should seek to provide the highest quality services at the best value to state citizens when contracting with outside counsel,” said Joyce. “The signing of this pledge is critical to bringing transparency and accountability to the post of governor in the state of Michigan.”
“Many states have already passed laws which reflect the principles of the Transparency Code,” said Joyce. “We hope to build on these best practices by working with the next attorney general of Michigan to support enactment of this important reform in 2019.”