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Public law litigation (PLL) is among the most important and controversial types of dispute that courts face. These civil class actions seek to reform public agencies such as police departments, prison systems, and child welfare agencies that have failed to meet basic statutory or constitutional obligations. They are controversial because critics assume that judicial intervention is categorically undemocratic or beyond judicial expertise. This Article reveals flaws in these criticisms by comparing the judicial function in PLL to that in corporate bankruptcy, where the value and legitimacy of judicial intervention are better understood and more accepted. Our comparison shows that judicial intervention in both spheres responds to coordination problems that make individual stakeholder action ineffective, and it explains how courts in both spheres can require and channel major organizational change without administering the organizations themselves or inefficiently constricting the discretion of managers. The comparison takes on greater urgency in light of the Trump administration's vow to "deconstruct the administrative state," a promise which, if kept, will likely increase demand for PLL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, paired with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, expanded health insurance coverage to millions of previously uninsured Americans and guaranteed that new insurance policies cover mental health and substance abuse treatment. This article examines how these recent pieces of legislation can be used to remedy the problems associated with the current model's ineffective enforcement of insurance regulations and proposes that more inclusive essential health benefit definitions and an expansion of monitored, certified health plans in health insurance Marketplaces can provide increased future access to this crucial health coverage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]