Despite the fact that I

Despite the fact that I do it for a living, I have very limited faith in the ability of litigation to bring about justice or, in general, improve the world. In particular, I am pretty universally opposed to litigation that is intended to advance a cause or act as a surrogate for legislation, or serve any other purpose beyond seeking money on behalf of the plaintiff. The just-announced lawsuit by heirs of September 11victims may be an exception to that rule. They say their purpose is to “force the sponsors of terror into the light” and to “expose the extent, the depth, the orchestration, the financial support that terrorist organizations have received for perhaps a decade from various Saudi interests.” Good luck to them. Litigation is obviously no substitute for military action, but it may prove a useful adjunct. Hell hath no fury like an American lawyer working for a contingent fee.