Lawsuits that aren't as dumb as they first appear to be

[richlevy]

I've heard people hold up a lot of examples of faults in our tort system, from suits over McDonalds hot coffee to the most recent example of a graduate suing her school.

I just should remind everyone that there is a judge or jury deciding every case, one which has more facts than will be reported in the press.

Here is a deeper examination of the woman suing her 'college'. While I'm not sure if I'd rule in her favor, the details are not as cut and dried as the news channels report them.

http://www.thebigmoney.com/articles/.../12/sue-school

Have you heard the joke about the new grad suing her college because she can't find a job? There's a good chance you have. First reported by the New York Post, the story gained juice last week when it was picked up by New York's TV stations and by CNN's Prime News, where anchor Mike Galanos shook his head in amusement and told viewers, "I don't see how this one can be legit." The Onion satirized it; countless blogs chimed in to label Trina Thompson, the 27-year-old who filed the lawsuit, an idiot or worse; and even the Chronicle of Higher Education, a publication not known for its sense of humor, got in its digs.

As should be very clear to anyone who's taken a look at what Monroe College is really about, however, what's at stake is not a "liberal arts" education as anybody understands it. The difference between what Thompson was offered and what a traditional vocational school-the kind of "business institute" that Monroe once billed itself as-proposes comes down mainly to her education taking longer, costing more, and offering far less certain outcomes.