Another new year means, of course, another Judicial Hellholes List from the American Tort Reform Foundation. 

http://www.judicialhellholes.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/JudicialHellholes-2013.pdf

Topping the list this year in order are:

1. California

2. Louisiana

3. New York City

4. West Virginia

5. Madison and St. Clair Counties, Illinois

6. South Florida

The report also includes a "Watch List" described as "jurisdictions that bear watching due to their histories of abusive litigation or troubling developments." 

The following jurisdictions made the watch list this year:  Cook County, Illinois; The City of Baltimore, Maryland; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Newport News, Virginia; New Hampshire; City of St. Louis, Missouri; Clark County, Nevada; Jones County, Mississippi; Spartanburg, South Carolina; and Atlantic County, New Jersey. 

Madison County is certainly no newcomer to the list, but I was somewhat surprised to see that St. Clair seems to strobe on and off of this list. The 2011-2012 list had St. Clair on it with Madison. The 2012-2013 report didn't show St. Clair as either a "Hellhole" or on the "Watch List." Now St. Clair ranks No. 5 with Madison. Has that much really changed in St. Clair in the last 3 years?

One thing is certain: with Madison, St. Clair, and St. Louis City at the top of the pack, many parts of the greater St. Louis region continue to be challenging jurisdictions for corporate defendants.