mr. speaker , i rise in support of the class action fairness act because we can not act fast enough .  we have been trying to act to address the dire needs of our nation 's judicial system .  today , predatory lawyers take advantage of class action law by shopping for venues where they can find sympathetic judges and juries .  each time a lawyer goes venue shopping , it costs taxpayers and it costs our economy by bogging down job creators with frivolous and excessive litigation .  national review magazine has called my home state of west virginia one of the worst states because of its cruel legal climate .  data and statistics indicate that since 1978 , legal costs in west virginia have risen more than 10 times faster than the state economy as a whole .  as a result , our economy has not grown as fast as the rest of the nation , and the jobs that west virginians seek to support their families are not as readily available as they are in other parts of our country .  west virginia 's civil justice system has been ranked as one of the worst when it comes to the treatment of class actions .  as a result of west virginia 's relaxation and less vigorous application of procedural rules , courts are generally viewed by lawyers as more favorable and advantageous to plaintiffs , and accordingly west virginia has become a magnet of mass tort litigation .  what is very alarming is when a victim receives little or no compensation .  the class action fairness act aims to curb class settlements that provide significant fees to a lawyer with marginal benefits to victims .  the class action fairness act takes strong steps to ensure injured consumers recoup real awards from victorious verdicts , rather than settlements that involve coupons , which largely benefit the lawyers .  the class action fairness act creates important reforms that will reduce lawsuit abuse and protect individuals .  it is as simple as that .  i urge support for this legislation , and for the fair and balanced rule before us .  