Lawyers Say Ruling Allows Abuse Suits

By Sophia Hollander
Wall Street Journal
August 30, 2012

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390443409904577619981834061096.html

[court document]

New York state has one of the country's strictest statute of limitations for sexual abuse claims, despite lobbying by advocates who say the law can stymie victims who come forward too late.

Now some attorneys believe that legal framework may be shifting after a federal judge this week allowed a lawsuit detailing decades-old sexual abuse to go forward against one of Brooklyn's elite prep schools.

"Frankly I'm going over my files right now to see if there's anything that could be done," said Michael Dowd, an attorney specializing in abuse cases. He plans to review some 300 suits.

"It's the ...