^aMorris and Rita Atlas Chair in Advocacy, University of Texas School of Law, 727 East Dean Keeton Street, Austin, TX 78705, U.S.A. E-mail: LMullenix@law.utexas.edu

^*Portions of this article have appeared in Mullenix, CAFA Proof Burdens, Nat'l L.J. 12 (December 19–26, 2005; Mullenix, CAFA and Retroactivity, Nat'l L.J. 12 (October 17, 2005); Mullenix, Class Actions: Fairness Act's Effect on Mass Torts, N.Y.L.J. (March 31, 2005) (with Paul Rheingold); Mullenix, Impact of the Class Action Fairness Law, N.Y.L.J. 5 (March 3, 2005) (with Paul D. Rheingold).

Abstract

This paper looks at the practice of forum shopping in the United States and focuses on the new Class Action Fairness Act which was passed in 2005 and is one of the most sweeping legislative initiatives relating to class action litigation.