Louisiana is perhaps my favorite place in the whole world. I went to Tulane University in New Orleans for college and have visited Louisiana almost annually since then. I have many friends there including one of the best trial lawyers I know–Dan Robin. After college, I came back to Washington, D.C. for law school and now am the President of the Maryland Association for Justice. I’ve been to New Orleans a few times since Hurricane Katrina and have participated in the Habitat for Humanity Projects to rebuild just outside of the City of New Orleans, LA. We need to use the civil justice system to make sure that those damaged by this BP Oil spill are made whole, and more importantly, to be sure that this never, ever happens again.

I am angry at BP, angry at the oil industry, and feel let down by the Federal Government for allowing this disaster to occur. It will have a permanent impact on the fishing industry, tourism industry, and many other people who enjoy the serenity of the Gulf Coast and the recreational activities it has to offer. I want to help those who are impacted by this disaster in any way I can. What concerns me is that BP now seems to have no clue what their next steps will be. In fact, this morning on the news I heard they are considering shoving golf balls, and used tires in the oil well to stop the leak. You have got to be kidding me! While I have mixed feelings about the merits of drilling for oil in the USA, I know one thing for sure: If you are going to drill in deep water, you darn well better have a plan for what to do if something goes wrong and there is a leak. The fact that BP, with all of its money and engineers, is now clueless as to how to clean up this mess, is a travesty of justice. Where was our Government? Where was MMS?

I am proud to be working with two Louisiana natives, attorney Dan Robin and attorney John Finckbeiner. We are going to fight hard to protect the rights of those who have had their livelihood’s destroyed by the BP Oil Spill, and we are also going to fight to make sure that BP and the other defendants are held accountable for destroying the fragile marine environment in and along the Gulf Coast.