LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) – A jury found both Meta and YouTube liable in a first-of-its-kind lawsuit that aimed to hold social media platforms responsible for harm to children using their services, awarding the plaintiff $3 million in damages.
Plaintiffs attorney Mark Lanier arrives for closing arguments in a landmark trial over whether social media platforms deliberately addict and harm children on Thursday, March 12, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)(Damian Dovarganes | AP)
The attorney leading the plaintiffs’ legal team is Mark Lanier, regarded as one of the top civil attorneys in the United States. He grew up in Lubbock and is a 1984 graduate of the Texas Tech School of Law. In 2015 the School of Law honored Lanier as a distinguished alumnus, and Texas Tech University celebrated Lanier with its distinguished alumnus award in 2016.
The AP reported Wednesday: Lawyers representing Kaley, led by Mark Lanier, were tasked with proving that the respective defendants’ negligence was a substantial factor in causing Kaley’s harm. They pointed to specific design features they said were designed to “hook” young users, like the “infinite” nature of feeds that allowed for an endless supply of content, autoplay features, and even notifications.
This is just the latest of many major victories for Lanier.
Lanier’s biography at lanierlawfirm.com states he “has achieved some of the largest verdicts in history, accomplishments that have changed business practices to protect the public and have gained justice for victims of asbestos exposure, dangerous drugs, medical devices, and other consumer products. In addition, he has successfully represented a select number of clients in claims involving fraud, breach of contract, and other forms of business litigation.”
Lanier delivered commencement addresses to graduating Red Raiders in 2016. An announcement from Tech at the time described him as “one of the most influential civil trial lawyers in the country”.
In 2008, Mark and Becky Lanier gifted Texas Tech Law $6 million to establish the Mark and Becky Lanier Professional Development Center. By happenstance, Tech Law Dean Jack Nowlin delivered a program to the Rotary Club of Lubbock Wednesday. Dean Nowlin mentioned additional significant gifts Lanier has made to the school, to further support law students.
The Spring 2005 edition of the Tech Law alumni magazine featured Lanier on its cover, headlined “Six Million Dollar Man”, for contributing the largest single gift to the Law School and, at the time, the second-largest gift to Texas Tech University.
The Community Foundation of West Texas offers the Mark and Becky Lanier Raider/Mustang Scholarship for Coronado High School seniors who also attended McKenzie Middle School. Mark Lanier is a graduate of Coronado.
Lanier founded the Lanier Theological Library as well as the Christian Trial Lawyers Association.
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Carolyn Lanier’s legacy, influence
Lanier’s mother Carolyn Lanier was the first executive director of the South Plains Food Bank. Ray and Lou Diekemper opened the Food Bank in 1983, as highlighted on the Food Bank website.
A KCBD story in 2022 stated a call in 1983 from Carolyn Lanier to KCBD News Director Skip Watson led to the annual U Can Share drive. We spoke with Skip’s widow Cindy Watson in 2022.
“[Skip] came home and said he had gotten a call from Carolyn Lanier, who was the executive director for the Food Bank. And she told him, ‘we’ve got to have more food, Skip. We don’t have enough. We have way more people than we have food.’
That was when he came up with the concept of the U Can Share Food Drive.”
At the 2013 Lubbock Area United Way campaign kickoff, Mark Lanier spoke about the people of Lubbock that set it apart. As the featured speaker that day, Lanier cited his law firm’s offices in Houston, Los Angeles and New York, and travels around the world, but said nothing compared to the generosity and kindness of the people here.
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