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2012: most popular and most commented-on posts

Walter Olson — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 11:45:31 +0000

Here are the five posts published in 2012 that drew the highest traffic over the past year:

Dressing psychiatrists as wizards on the witness stand [January]
Doormat warning [December]
Long-necked beer bottle maker not liable for barroom assault [August]
“Structuring”: who can get away with it, and who can’t [April]
Reluctant to recant rape accusation [May]

Some posts continue popular long after they’re published. Here are the five from previous years that drew most traffic in 2012:

The burglar and the skylight: another debunking that isn’t [2006]
Urban legends and Stella Liebeck and the McDonald’s coffee case [2005]
Lawyers making clients worse off: Nicholas White’s elevator ride [2008]
Lawyer presidents [2008]
From comments: lawyer referral fees [2008]

Finally, here are the five 2012 posts that drew the largest number of reader comments:

He couldn’t prove it was legitimate [May]
Deaf girl’s family sues Girl Scouts for disbanding troop [August]
That treehouse has to go [January]
May 18 roundup [May]
NHTSA to mandate accelerator overrides [April]

And see also our subjective, recently concluded month-by-month list of highlights starting with January.

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Best of 2012: December

Walter Olson — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 01:15:49 +0000

Homeless man wins $200K for exclusion from L.A. buses, and more legal complications ensue.
LAPD: “Is there any way you or your crew could make a few arrests so we can avoid negative coverage?”
Hemingway museum needs zoo license for cats.
Do commercial property owners have a duty to keep defibrillator on site?
“Do not taunt mat.” Funny doormat warning.
“State of Kansas hits sperm donor for child support.”

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Best of 2012: December is a post from Overlawyered - Chronicling the high cost of our legal system

Best of 2012: November

Walter Olson — Mon, 31 Dec 2012 14:31:45 +0000

“Lawyer who sued 90-year-old Greenbrae shooting victim calls social-media criticism unfair”
“‘Legally Insane’ Judge Wins Re-Election in Chicago.”
“I am not allowed moisturizer,” complains imprisoned Norwegian mass murderer.
Does a U.N. treaty require the federal government to resist legalization of marijuana?
Neighbors’ specimen trees block his skyline view, so retired Seattle baseball player wins ruling ordering them cut down.
Ten-year-old kid is riding city bus in Rockville, Md. A case for Child Protective Services?

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Best of 2012: November is a post from Overlawyered - Chronicling the high cost of our legal system

Best of 2012: October

Walter Olson — Sun, 30 Dec 2012 13:31:42 +0000

“Middle Schooler Forced To Take Drug Test To Join Scrapbooking Club.”
Following uproar against anti-Islam video, various law professors propose shrinking scope of First Amendment to permit punishing speech that gives offense;
Oglala Sioux lawsuit over nearby beer sales impresses NYT columnist Nicholas Kristof, but fails to impress federal judge.
California hospital agrees to pay $975,000 to settle lawsuit over safety-related policy requiring employees to converse in English;
Feds’ scheme: have cops enforce “distracted driving” laws by peering down into cars from overpasses.
“The curb disrupted the motion of plaintiff’s foot.” Naughty curb!

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Best of 2012: October is a post from Overlawyered - Chronicling the high cost of our legal system

Best of 2012: September

Walter Olson — Sat, 29 Dec 2012 04:41:40 +0000

Nook e-readers lack text-to-speech capabilities, and following a complaint from disability-rights lawyers, the Sacramento library system agrees not to give any more of them out to patrons, hearing or otherwise.
Nanny’s next move? Concord, Mass., bans single-serving water bottles.
Lawsuit: crossbow maker knew it was dangerous to get fingers in the way.
Murder of U.S. ambassador in Benghazi fuels calls for hate-speech bans.
“Arguing over answers in Scattergories is the closest thing on the planet to the experience of a law school class.”
Injury lawyer: “primary responsibility” for Aurora, Colo. mass shooting rests with theater operator.

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Best of 2012: September is a post from Overlawyered - Chronicling the high cost of our legal system

Best of 2012: August

Walter Olson — Thu, 27 Dec 2012 18:31:37 +0000

Suburban Chicago: “Deaf girl’s family sues Girl Scouts for disbanding troop.”
Shelby County (Memphis) subpoenas identity of authors of 10,000 anonymous comments on website of city’s major newspaper.
Zimmerman’s lawyer confirms that his client’s defense won’t be based on “Stand Your Ground,” and non-apologies follow from advocacy groups and pundits who’d misunderstood or misrepresented that issue.
Detroit water and sewer department employs “horseshoer” but keeps no horses.
Long-necked beer bottle maker not liable for barroom assault.
Maker of metal baseball bat, as well as Little League and sporting goods retailer, reach $14.5 million settlement with family of New Jersey boy badly hurt by line drive.

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Best of 2012: August is a post from Overlawyered - Chronicling the high cost of our legal system

Best of 2012: June

Walter Olson — Tue, 25 Dec 2012 18:12:08 +0000

“Bloomberg’s soda grab: reactions.”
Iditarod musher sues knife maker.
EEOC goes to bat for superannuated lifeguards.
Judge: Netflix can be sued for streaming uncaptioned films.
Dear town cops: thanks for saving my life. Now pay me $5 million.
Cafe owner will pay $20,000 after EEOC complaint for not hiring speech and hearing-impaired applicant as cashier.

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Best of 2012: June is a post from Overlawyered - Chronicling the high cost of our legal system

Overlawyered highlights of Christmas past

Walter Olson — Mon, 24 Dec 2012 18:24:31 +0000

From the archives:

Christmas in legalese: “…Hosiery was meticulously suspended from the forward edge of the woodburning caloric apparatus…” [1999] And see TaxProf (“Claus thereafter immediately began to fill the stockings of the minor children… (Said items did not, however, constitute ‘gifts’ to said minor pursuant to the applicable provisions of the U.S. Tax Code.)”)
Yuletide in old England less jolly given health and safety adjustments [2007, 2009]
Santa’s extra helper might be a witness in case of litigation, and other items from the legal-Claus file [2005]
Gingerbread and chestnut-roasting hazards [2002]
“Law firm offers divorce vouchers for Christmas” [2009]
Does “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” promote bullying? [2011]
“Cease this shouting!” cried Grinch, “From all Yule din desist!” But he’d Moved To The Nuisance and so, case dismissed [Art Carden, Forbes on Whoville externalities] [2010]

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Overlawyered highlights of Christmas past is a post from Overlawyered - Chronicling the high cost of our legal system

Best of 2012: May

Walter Olson — Mon, 24 Dec 2012 02:20:04 +0000

Indiana appeals court: 2%-liable motel must pay 100% of damages for murder.
“It’s worth it,” says man who has spent $60,000 suing ex-girlfriend in custody battle over their dog.
Motorist couldn’t prove the $22,000 he was carrying was legitimate, so the police department just took it.
Judge: flashing headlights to warn of speed trap is protected speech.
Reluctant to recant false rape accusation because she might have to give back the settlement money.
Never use electric razor while sleeping, and other Wacky Warning winners.

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Best of 2012: May is a post from Overlawyered - Chronicling the high cost of our legal system

Best of 2012: April

Walter Olson — Sat, 22 Dec 2012 12:20:01 +0000

How California is that? Killer collected $30,000 in unemployment while in jail, officials say.
Spokane city council rejects disabled-rights settlement in which it would have paid $275,000 and rehired cop after DUI.
Why was press coverage of the Martin/Zimmerman case so bad?
Bank “structuring”: who can get away with it, and who can’t.
Lawyer-dad: so what if my son cheated?
Motorcyclist blames BMW for unsought excitement.

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Best of 2012: April is a post from Overlawyered - Chronicling the high cost of our legal system