Now seems as good a time as any to take a brief look at just how many cases are before the Supreme Court this term that threaten to take away people's right to hold giant corporations accountable. The Court is being asked to:
- Empower retaliation against employees who file discrimination complaints;
- Prohibit a class-action discrimination lawsuit against Wal-Mart on behalf of its 1.5 million women employees;
- Bar states from using federal nuisance law to hold power companies accountable for the climate damage they are causing;
- Make it harder for employees to hold their employers accountable for providing inaccurate summaries of major changes in their pensions plans;
- Demolish class-action suits and cripple state consumer protection laws through corporate-imposed arbitration agreements;
- Protect pharmaceutical corporations from lawsuits from those who are injured by unsafe child vaccines; and
- Recognize "personal privacy rights" of corporations.
There are other cases, as well, and their number will increase as the Court continues to accept new cases. It makes one realize just how big an impact the Supreme Court has on all our lives.