Crowded Courts

By Melissa August, Amanda Bower, Beau Briese, Rhett Butler, Belinda Luscombe, Ellin Martens, Andrea Sachs, Ryan Schick, Sora Song, Heather Won Tesoriero, Kadesha Thomas

The American Bar Association is in the midst of its annual meeting, where ethical standards and other matters will be discussed. One issue not on the agenda: a shortage of work. Some recent highlights of Our Litigious Society:

THE HAZARDS OF POP-TARTS A New Jersey couple whose home caught fire after a Pop-Tart was left unattended in the toaster is suing Kellogg and Black & Decker for damages.

NOT EVERYONE IS A STAR WARS FAN A Panama City, Fla., waitress, Jodee Berry, is suing her employer, Hooters. After winning a contest that offered a Toyota for a prize, she says, she was blindfolded and presented with...a toy Yoda.

A BRUSH WITH THE LAW A young woman from Greensburg, Pa., brushed her teeth for two weeks with Crest Baking Soda toothpaste. She claims it misaligned and scarred her teeth, and she's suing both Procter & Gamble, the manufacturer, and Wal-Mart, the store that sold it to her.