{{Short description|Tort reform law blog (1999–2020)}}
'''Overlawyered''' was a law blog on the subject of tort reform from 1999-2020 run by author Walter Olson. In 2008 it was described as "widely considered to be the oldest legal blog and is also one of the most popular", according to Law.com.<ref name=lawcom>{{cite news|url=http://www.law.com/jsp/legaltechnology/pubArticleLT.jsp?id=1202426527551|publisher=Law.com|title=How to Build a Better Law Blog|author=C.C. Holland|date=2008-12-08}}</ref>
==Content== The subject of the site is alleged absurdities,<ref name=courttv>{{cite news|url=http://www.courttv.com/news/cow/072501_overlawyered_ctv.html|publisher=Court TV|title=Chasing the Ambulance Chasers|author=Adrien Seybert|date=2001-07-25|access-date=2009-03-22|archive-date=2008-08-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080830021417/http://www.courttv.com/news/cow/072501_overlawyered_ctv.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> excesses,<ref name="forbes">{{cite news|work=Forbes|title=Seventh-Amendment Follies|author=William Baldwin|url=https://www.forbes.com/forbes/2005/0411/020.html|date=2005-04-11}}</ref> and abuse<ref name="lvrj">{{cite news|url=http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2000/May-01-Mon-2000/opinion/13452638.html|publisher=Las Vegas Review Journal|date=2000-05-01|title=Editorial:Our overlawyered society}}</ref><!--though an editorial this characterization seems like a neutral claim and is probably fact-checked--> of the American tort law system.{{cn|date=October 2023}} Its regular readership includes thousands of lawyers in the United States, as well as physicians, and readers in other countries considering American-style tort systems.<ref name=lawcom/><ref name=courttv/>
On April 26, 2013, Olson announced the blog had affiliated itself with the Cato Institute, where he is a senior fellow.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://overlawyered.com/2013/04/overlawyered-now-cato-institute-blog|title=Overlawyered: now a Cato Institute blog|first=Walter|last=Olson|date=2013-04-16|access-date=2013-04-28}}</ref>
==Dispute== In 2010, aviation tort lawyer Arthur Alan Wolk sued Overlawyered, Olson, and contributors Ted Frank and David Nieporent for libel over a post written by Frank.<ref name=Sullum>Jacob Sullum, ''Reason'', [http://reason.com/blog/2010/08/06/lawyer-trying-to-protect-his-r "Lawyer Trying to Protect His Reputation As an Effective Advocate Misses Deadline for His Libel Suit"], August 6, 2010</ref><ref name=ww>{{cite web |url=http://www.whiteandwilliams.com/CM/Publications/COURTDISMISSESDEFAMATIONCLAIMAGAINSTLEGALBLOG.asp |title=COURT DISMISSES DEFAMATION CLAIM AGAINST LEGAL BLOG - Law Firm White and Williams LLP Attorneys Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |website=www.whiteandwilliams.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718040753/http://www.whiteandwilliams.com/CM/Publications/COURTDISMISSESDEFAMATIONCLAIMAGAINSTLEGALBLOG.asp |archive-date=2011-07-18}} </ref> Judge Mary A. McLaughlin ruled that Overlawyered is a "mass medium" and dismissed the case because Wolk did not file within the one-year statute of limitations.<ref name=Sullum/><ref name=Duffy>Shannon P. Duffy, ''The Legal Intelligencer'', [http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1202464319845 Discovery Rule for Libel Doesn't Apply to Blogs, Says Federal Judge], August 6, 2010</ref><ref name=pbj>Jeff Blumenthal, ''Philadelphia Business Journal'', [http://www.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/blogs/law/2010/08/overlawyered_blog_case_testing_statute_of_limitations_for_defamation.html Overlawyered blog case testing statute of limitations for defamation], August 6, 2010</ref> Wolk appealed his loss.<ref name=Sullum/><ref name=Duffy/> In 2011, Wolk and Overlawyered reached a settlement.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Sullum|first1=Jacob|title=HIT & RUN BLOG Update on Arthur Alan Wolk's Lawsuit Against Reason|url=https://reason.com/blog/2011/09/19/update-on-arthur-alan-wolks-la|access-date=22 December 2015|publisher=Reason Magazine|date=September 19, 2011}}</ref>
==Termination== The blog ceased to operate on May 31, 2020.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.overlawyered.com/2020/05/a-good-run-overlawyered-1999-2020/|date=2020-05-31|access-date=2022-03-11 |first=Walter|last=Olson |title= A good run: Overlawyered, 1999-2020 |website=Overlawyered.com |publisher=Cato Institute}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *{{official website|http://www.overlawyered.com/}}
Category:Tort law Category:Cato Institute Category:American legal websites
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