Will the Supreme Court dismiss a class action suit brought by smokers in Maine, who say they were misled into believing that “low tar” and “light” cigarettes are a healthier alternative to regular cigarettes? The case argued before before the high court this week, Altria Group v. Good, raises the question of whether smokers’ state-law claims against tobacco giant Phillip Morris are preempted by federal law. On this week’s legal-affairs podcast Lawyer2Lawyer, we discuss the case with two experts:

  • Dr. Jeffrey Wigand, internationally known for blowing the whistle on tobacco company Brown & Williamson. Wigand’s courageous story ultimately led to a landmark case against big tobacco and changes in cigarette advertising, and was the inspiration for the movie, The Insider. He now devotes much of his time to the organization he founded, Smoke-Free Kids.
  • Tony Mauro, Supreme Court correspondent for Legal Times and Law.com, who has written about the case and attended this week’s arguments.

You can download or listen to the show from this Legal Talk Network page. As always, you can keep up to date with all Lawyer2Lawyer programs by subscribing via RSS or using iTunes.

Photo of Bob Ambrogi Bob Ambrogi

Bob is a lawyer, veteran legal journalist, and award-winning blogger and podcaster. In 2011, he was named to the inaugural Fastcase 50, honoring “the law’s smartest, most courageous innovators, techies, visionaries and leaders.” Earlier in his career, he was editor-in-chief of several legal publications, including The National Law Journal, and editorial director of ALM’s Litigation Services Division.