John Sullivan, the former president of the Civil Justice Association of California (CJAC) and a longtime leader in the fight against frivolous lawsuits, has passed away at the age of 73.
The organization was formed in 1979 as a principal supporter of the then newly-passed Medical Injury Compensation Reform Act (MICRA). In the years since, CJAC’s legislative operations and appellate advocacy have promoted a legal system that supports patient access to care and a fair environment for business and employers.
CJAC, originally known as the Association for California Tort Reform, was led by Sullivan from 1995 to 2010. A fixture in Sacramento Capitol politics for almost 40 years, Sullivan passed away on February 20 from complications of cancer. During his long career navigating the halls of the state Legislature, Sullivan was respected by colleagues and opponents alike. Nancy Peveri, legislative director of the Consumer Attorneys of California, told the Capitol Morning Report: “While we may not have agreed on many tort policy issues, John was always a gentleman and worthy opponent.”
A journalism graduate and a lawyer, Sullivan was an articulate spokesman for common-sense legal reform. In an article he contributed in 2006 to the magazine of the PIAA, the national organization for medical professional liability companies, Sullivan likened excessive litigation to biological disease, describing it as having “an ability to mutate to cope with stronger defenses or benefit from new opportunities.” Those new opportunities were what Sullivan’s tenure at CJAC fought to defeat.
As noted in the Sacramento Bee, Sullivan commented on his retirement from CJAC: “When we began in 1995, we were barely even recognized in the Legislature. We had a substantial [appellate court] program and we didn’t have too much else. But since then, we’ve built a highly respected legislation operation . . . and we’ve gotten into political campaigns in a very winning way.” Under the leadership of CJAC’s current president, Kim Stone, the organization’s robust voice endures.
CAP is represented on CJAC’s Board of Directors.