It should be no surprise that the lawyer-dominated Legislature voted to extend the civil statute of limitations in sex abuse cases from 21 until the victim turns 43. The legal fraternity is having hard times in this economy including an over-supply of lawyers. Massachusetts has the highest number of lawyers per capita in the country. More prospects are needed. The number of potential asbestos victims is decreasing and the Catholic Church reached a settlement. We have litigation mania that is present nowhere else in the world. For the price of a lawyer, anyone can buy a chance at a raffle (where, unfortunately, the lawyer will take a third of the award.) We used to have procedural rules discouraging ill-conceived litigation that discouraged frivolous lawsuits and legal ethics rules prohibiting lawyers from stirring up litigation for their own benefit. No more. Today, the share of American’s GNP that is devoted to litigation has tripled over 50 years. We spend two to three times more on it in terms of percentage of GNP, as other industrial democracies. In almost every country, but the U.S., legal systems incorporate a “loser pays” principle. If you sue and lose, you can’t just walk away. You have to contribute to making the accused whole for what the individual had paid in legal court costs. It’s a start.