Overlawyered was a
lawblog on the subject of
tort reform run by author
Walter Olson. Founded in 1999, it is "widely considered to be the oldest legal blog and is also one of the most popular", according to
Law.com.[1]
Content
The subject of the site is alleged absurdities,[2] excesses,[3] and abuse[4] of the American
tort law system.[citation needed] 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.[1][2]
On April 26, 2013, Olson announced the blog had affiliated itself with the
Cato Institute, where he is a senior fellow.[5]
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.[6][7] 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.[6][8][9] Wolk appealed his loss.[6][8] In 2011, Wolk and Overlawyered reached a settlement.[10]