Since the beginning of the Blog, we have shilled for only one product: Bexis’ “Drug and Medical Device Product Liability Deskbook” (published by Law.com and updated twice annually). While Bexis is continuing the blog in 2026 (after he turned 70), he is not continuing to update this treatise. Frankly, it’s a lot of work, and Bexis in his dotage no longer wants to write things with footnotes.
Over the last year, Bexis has informally attempted to find a successor willing to take over and continue his treatise, but without success. It is a lot of effort, but it has its rewards, too. It requires creating Lexis/Westlaw searches that will produce every prescription medical product liability litigation-related decision. Then, an author must be read, and categorize by relevant chapter(s), all of these cases. Then, when a chapter update is written, the author must read the cases (or the relevant parts) again, and add citations to each case in the footnote(s), and sometimes text, where it belongs. Often, entirely new paragraphs suggest themselves. ALM’s editors then run the changes and provide proofs for final, handwritten edits. Repeat the process twice a year for different chapters.
The rewards are: (1) suddenly knowing more than almost all other lawyers about what’s going on in prescription medical product liability litigation, and being able to pick up patterns and predict trends; (2) instant authority, as a name author of one of ALM’s most prominent publications; (3) helping your firm save clients lots of money by having pre-done research available; and (4) research synergies leading to numerous other publication opportunities. It’s no accident that you can find Bexis’ name all over – the Blog, amicus briefs, DRI publications, 360, FDLI, ACI, PLAC – since he doesn’t have to reinvent the research wheel every time he writes about something. Whoever took his place would have the same built-in advantages in the thought leadership arena.
Anyone taking over the project would also have some help. Bexis is continuing with the Blog. So he has to continue reading the cases that his own searches turn up. It’s no big deal for him to continue adding new cases to the “chapter update” document that he’s been using for this treatise for the past 20+ years. Bexis will happily work with any successor author.
So here is the pitch to our readers (and their firms): If any of you would like to take over the editorial function for the Drug and Medical Device Product Liability Deskbook, feel free to contact Bexis directly. Don’t kid yourselves, these semiannual chapter updates (at least the way Bexis did them) each take a month to prepare – it’s hard work. But don’t sell yourself short, either. All that work will increase your, and your firm’s, profile in the competitive and remunerative prescription medical product liability litigation defense field.
Bexis will put you in touch with his editors at Law.com, and you can take it from there.