Reforming Missouri’s Joinder and Venue Laws
Last week, the Missouri Senate debated and perfected Senate Bill 7, which reforms the state’s joinder and venue laws. In legal terminology, joinder is the process through which separate claims by multiple plaintiffs are combined into a single lawsuit, whereas venue determines which courts have jurisdiction to hear a specific case. These are two of the most important rules of civil procedure. As state lawmakers, it’s our responsibility to ensure they facilitate a fair and balanced judicial system.
Missouri’s current law is notoriously inhospitable to businesses in terms of both joinder and venue, giving broad discretion to plaintiffs and their attorneys on where they can sue and what claims they are able to combine. This creates an uneven playing field. Plaintiffs and their attorneys can engage in “court shopping,” suing in the jurisdiction most likely to favor their case, while defendants have no similar advantage. Additionally, joinder rules have previously allowed a large number of out-of-state plaintiffs to combine their claims with those of a small number of in-state plaintiffs to sue in Missouri courts. This clogs our judicial system, making it more difficult for Missourians to get the justice they deserve in a timely fashion.
SB 7 is an attempt to balance the interests of both plaintiffs and defendants, creating an equitable system where neither party has an unfair advantage. By reforming this area of the law, I believe we can create a better economic environment for our state. If we make Missouri friendlier to business interests, we can attract a larger number of high-paying jobs. In the end, everyone would benefit from joinder and venue reform.
As always, please feel free to call, email or write with your ideas or concerns. My Capitol office number is (573) 751-1415, my email is dan.hegeman@senate.mo.gov and my mailing address is Room 332, State Capitol Building, Jefferson City, MO 65101.