Overlawyered was a

law Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior, with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been variously described as a science and as the ar ...

blog A blog (a Clipping (morphology), truncation of "weblog") is an informational website consisting of discrete, often informal diary-style text entries also known as posts. Posts are typically displayed in Reverse chronology, reverse chronologic ...

on the subject of

tort reform Tort reform consists of changes in the civil justice system in common law countries that aim to reduce the ability of plaintiffs to bring tort litigation (particularly actions for negligence) or to reduce damages they can receive. Such changes ...

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.

Content

The subject of the site is alleged absurdities, excesses, and abuse of the American

tort law A tort is a civil wrong, other than breach of contract, that causes a claimant to suffer loss or harm, resulting in legal liability for the person who commits the tortious act. Tort law can be contrasted with criminal law, which deals with crime ...

system. Its regular readership includes thousands of

lawyer A lawyer is a person who is qualified to offer advice about the law, draft legal documents, or represent individuals in legal matters. The exact nature of a lawyer's work varies depending on the legal jurisdiction and the legal system, as w ...

s in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

, as well as physicians, and readers in other countries considering American-style tort systems. On April 26, 2013, Olson announced the blog had affiliated itself with the

Cato Institute The Cato Institute is an American libertarian think tank headquartered in Washington, D.C. It was founded in 1977 by Ed Crane, Murray Rothbard, and Charles Koch, chairman of the board and chief executive officer of Koch Industries.Koch ...

, where he is a senior fellow.

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. Jacob Sullum, ''

Reason Reason is the capacity of consciously applying logic by drawing valid conclusions from new or existing information, with the aim of seeking the truth. It is associated with such characteristically human activities as philosophy, religion, scien ...

''
"Lawyer Trying to Protect His Reputation As an Effective Advocate Misses Deadline for His Libel Suit"
August 6, 2010 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 A statute of limitations, known in civil law systems as a prescriptive period, is a law passed by a legislative body to set the maximum time after an event within which legal proceedings may be initiated. ("Time for commencing proceedings") In ...

.Shannon P. Duffy, '' The Legal Intelligencer''
Discovery Rule for Libel Doesn't Apply to Blogs, Says Federal Judge
August 6, 2010Jeff Blumenthal, '' Philadelphia Business Journal''
Overlawyered blog case testing statute of limitations for defamation
August 6, 2010 Wolk appealed his loss. In 2011, Wolk and Overlawyered reached a settlement.

Content

Dispute

Termination

References

External links