Time for More Constructive Ways to Address the Legacy of Slavery? The AP is reporting that a federal court has dismissed the slavery reparations case against R.J. Reynolds, Aetna, and others. While I do agree that racial discrimination remains a problem in this country, I've always questioned both the wisdom and the effectiveness of slavery reparations cases, which, like many class actions, promise to enrich a few named plaintiffs and many lawyers, while doing nothing to alleviate the real problems the cases seek to address. (Full disclosure: I worked on a brief seeking dismissal of this case for another defendant at my previous law firm.)