• The Class Action Fairness Act of 2005 is a law designed to prevent abuses related to class actions. The law places class action lawsuits under federal jurisdiction (previously such cases were under the jurisdiction of state courts) provided that the amount in dispute exceeds $5 million. The law also makes it harder for plaintiffs to find jurisdictions known for class action abuse. Another important provision of the Act contains procedures for judicial review of attorneys’ fees, which are often excessive in comparison to the reimbursements received by plaintiffs. Opponents of the Act argued that these changes would make it impossible for victims to stand trial because it would be much more difficult for them to file class action lawsuits, and that removing such cases from the jurisdiction of state courts would clog the federal court lists.