Overlawyered » John Stossel

Obama administration’s Title IX activism

Walter Olson — Sat, 15 Jan 2011 05:05:36 +0000

The quota pressure in sports has been around for a while, but the idea of an enforcement push in hard academic disciplines may be getting extra encouragement from the very top:

Obama himself seems to have latched onto the idea. While praising Title IX’s impact on increasing women’s participation in athletics, he said, “If pursued with the necessary attention and enforcement, Title IX has the potential to make similar, striking advances in the opportunities that girls have in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (“STEM”) disciplines.” The nation’s university science, engineering, and mathematics departments may thus soon find themselves faced with the task of complying with a regulatory regime similar to the intercollegiate athletics three part test.

[Alison Somin, Federalist Society "Engage", PDF]

More: a John Stossel segment, and cutbacks in men’s sports at Delaware.

Tags: Delaware, John Stossel, science and scientists, Title IX

Obama administration’s Title IX activism is a post from Overlawyered - Chronicling the high cost of our legal system

October 5 roundup

Walter Olson — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 11:59:12 +0000

“Mark Lanier, Marie Gryphon and Ted Frank debate if a free market can protect consumers as well as lawyers.” [John Stossel's Fox Business show last week; Point of Law (Lanier has kind words for loser pays); Bob Dorigo Jones]
Corner-cutting document prep proves costly to mortgage lenders at foreclosure time [NYTimes; related, Felix Salmon and more] Connecticut AG Blumenthal orders 60-day halt to all foreclosures, whether or not paperwork-impaired, conveniently carrying him through Election Day [WaPo]
High court grants cert on a bunch of business cases [Beck, WLF, WSJ Law Blog, Fisher, PoL on Scalia stay in tobacco class action]
The myth of the sabotaged streetcar system [Market Urbanism]
Another big Title IX casualty: Cal Berkeley kills varsity rugby [Saving Sports and various followups; gymnastics; related on Boston Globe coverage]
“N.J. Bill Proposes Use of Screening Panels to Thwart Frivolous Suits Against Public Entities” [NJLJ]
Cop informs on cop’s misbehavior, what happens next isn’t pretty [Greenfield; Kansas City, Kansas]
There’s money in glass-eating, son [three years ago on Overlawyered]

Tags: John Stossel, loser pays, Mark Lanier, mortgages, on TV and radio, police, Ted Frank, Title IX

October 5 roundup is a post from Overlawyered - Chronicling the high cost of our legal system

John Stossel’s show…

Walter Olson — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 11:44:33 +0000

…will be taking on class action lawyers tonight, with guests that include Ted Frank, Texas lawyer Mark Lanier, and Marie Gryphon of the Manhattan Institute. (9 p.m. EST)

Tags: class actions, John Stossel, Mark Lanier, on TV and radio, Ted Frank

John Stossel’s show… is a post from Overlawyered - Chronicling the high cost of our legal system

On the John Stossel show: video

Walter Olson — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 05:20:38 +0000

Cato has posted a video on YouTube from my appearance on the John Stossel show on ADA the other week (related syndicated column). There’s also this clip on the Cato site. And a post from the American Association of People with Disabilities encourages constituents to express discontent with us.

P.S. Note that by editing down Stossel’s words AAPD has made it appear that his harsh criticism of “parasites” was somehow aimed at disabled persons generally, rather than, as was entirely clear from the context, at opportunistic lawyers and litigants who generate complaints to obtain assembly-line cash settlements. Sure enough, I’ve been getting cc’s of furious letters to Stossel saying, “How dare you call disabled persons parasites?!” He didn’t say that, folks. The AAPD should consider carefully whether it wants to go on claiming that he did.

P.P.S. I respond at more length at Cato at Liberty.

Tags: disabled rights, John Stossel, on TV and radio

On the John Stossel show: video is a post from Overlawyered - Chronicling the high cost of our legal system

On tonight’s John Stossel show (FBN)

Walter Olson — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 11:44:06 +0000

I’m a guest on tonight’s John Stossel program on the Fox Business Network, on the subject of the consequences of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The show was shot live to tape yesterday in New York and was fascinating throughout; even those who think they know this subject well will learn a lot. I’m also quoted in John’s latest syndicated column on the same issue.

Among the highlights of the taping: a disabled-rights lobbyist defended several extreme applications of the law, including the notion that it might be appropriate to force networks to hire someone who suffers from stuttering as on-air television talent. We also shed some light on the state of California’s up-to-$4,000-a-violation bounty system for freelancers who identify ADA violations in Main Street businesses, and the case for at least requiring complainants to give business owners notice and an opportunity to fix an ADA violation before suing. (The disabled-rights lobby has managed to stifle that proposal in Congress for years.) Also mentioned: the suit against the Chipotle restaurant chain recently covered in this space.

Other recent coverage of the ADA here and here (cross-posted from Cato at Liberty). More: Amy Alkon notes some New York City examples from a commenter.

Tags: disabled rights, John Stossel, NYC

On tonight’s John Stossel show (FBN) is a post from Overlawyered - Chronicling the high cost of our legal system

New John Stossel segment: “The Trouble With Lawyers”

Walter Olson — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 05:06:06 +0000

The Fox Business host has an all new segment on a topic he’s visited before. Air times:

– Fri., Jul. 9, 10 p.m. EST
– Sat., Jul. 10, 9 p.m. & midnight EST
– Sun,. Jul. 11, 10 p.m. EST

And here’s a web-only supplement to the show.

Tags: John Stossel

New John Stossel segment: “The Trouble With Lawyers” is a post from Overlawyered - Chronicling the high cost of our legal system

April 2 roundup

Walter Olson — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 14:07:06 +0000

What? You mean it wasn’t real?
Nothing special at Lowering the Bar for April Fool’s Day since the site’s regular fare was unbelievable enough;
“Steve Cohen’s Wife Was So Excited To Sue Him, She ‘Could Hardly Contain Herself’” [Business Insider]
John Stossel, quoting Cato’s Jerry Taylor, on energy independence and wishful science;
Senior Church of England bishop warns of “victim culture” and “blame society” [Telegraph via Alkon]
Landlord didn’t care for tenant’s display: “Peeps Eviction Trial Postponed” [Lowering the Bar, Legal Blog Watch]
Great mileage, clean reputation, too bad the EPA’s holding up their importation [Coyote]
YouTube, copyright infringement, and the Viacom lawsuit [Manjoo, Slate]

Tags: copyright, divorce, humor, John Stossel, YouTube

April 2 roundup is a post from Overlawyered - Chronicling the high cost of our legal system

Stossel on the food police

Walter Olson — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 14:16:40 +0000

Last night’s show.

Tags: food safety, John Stossel, nanny state, obesity, salt, trans-fats

Stossel on the food police is a post from Overlawyered - Chronicling the high cost of our legal system

John Stossel on CPSIA

Walter Olson — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 11:58:59 +0000

In his show last night on “Crony Capitalism”, with CPSC Commissioner Anne Northup as a guest, he told how Mattel and Hasbro are fine with the law that is wiping out many of their smaller competitors. Other segments of the show can be watched here.