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Federal Judge Certifies Class of Former Law Students Using BAR/BRI and Kaplan and Installs Special Master
Los Angeles, CA
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
LOS ANGELES – McGuireWoods LLP Partner Eliot Disner, the plaintiffs' lead counsel in a case against the largest provider of bar review courses, announced that a U.S. District Court granted class certification on behalf of approximately 300,000 law students. The hearing for Ryan Rodriguez v. West Publishing Corp., No. 05 CV 3222 (C.D. Calif.) was held yesterday, and the order entered today. The judge who entered the Order is the Honorable Manuel Real of the US District Court for the Central District of California.
The eligible students took West's BAR/BRI course to help them prepare for the bar exams given in every State in the nation and the District of Columbia between 1997 and 2006. BAR/BRI has estimated that from 85 to 95 percent of all law students sitting for the bar have taken its course.
"After reviewing massive filings and hearing arguments from both sides, the judge granted certification and held 'This case will now proceed as a class'," Disner said. "If we prove BAR/BRI and Kaplan, Inc violated the antitrust laws, several hundred thousand young lawyers who paid too much for their bar prep. courses will get some of their money back," Disner added.
The lawsuit accuses BAR/BRI, among other things, of an illegal market division agreement with its largest potential competitor, Kaplan. It agreed with BAR/BRI to stay out of the bar review course market on the condition that hundreds of thousands of dollars per year be paid to it, plus, that BAR/BRI also stay out of Kaplan's. LSAT prep. course market. Disner says the claimed conspiracy appears to have resulted in class members being overcharged as much as $1,000 each.
The Court also ordered that a Special Master be appointed at Plaintiff's urging, prompted by the chronic failure of the Defendants to provide discovery reasonably requested. The Master will expedite future proceedings in this matter in preparation for the September 12, 2006 trial date.
McGuireWoods LLP is a full-service law firm with more than 750 lawyers in 15 offices in the United States, Europe and Central Asia providing legal counsel to clients around the world. The firm's Los Angeles office is located at 1800 Century Park East. For more information, visit www.mcguirewoods.com.
The eligible students took West's BAR/BRI course to help them prepare for the bar exams given in every State in the nation and the District of Columbia between 1997 and 2006. BAR/BRI has estimated that from 85 to 95 percent of all law students sitting for the bar have taken its course.
"After reviewing massive filings and hearing arguments from both sides, the judge granted certification and held 'This case will now proceed as a class'," Disner said. "If we prove BAR/BRI and Kaplan, Inc violated the antitrust laws, several hundred thousand young lawyers who paid too much for their bar prep. courses will get some of their money back," Disner added.
The lawsuit accuses BAR/BRI, among other things, of an illegal market division agreement with its largest potential competitor, Kaplan. It agreed with BAR/BRI to stay out of the bar review course market on the condition that hundreds of thousands of dollars per year be paid to it, plus, that BAR/BRI also stay out of Kaplan's. LSAT prep. course market. Disner says the claimed conspiracy appears to have resulted in class members being overcharged as much as $1,000 each.
The Court also ordered that a Special Master be appointed at Plaintiff's urging, prompted by the chronic failure of the Defendants to provide discovery reasonably requested. The Master will expedite future proceedings in this matter in preparation for the September 12, 2006 trial date.
McGuireWoods LLP is a full-service law firm with more than 750 lawyers in 15 offices in the United States, Europe and Central Asia providing legal counsel to clients around the world. The firm's Los Angeles office is located at 1800 Century Park East. For more information, visit www.mcguirewoods.com.
Eliot Disner
McGuireWoods LLP
Los Angeles, CA
310-315-8299
310-315-8210
