Overlawyered reaches the end of its 17th year of publication today. I launched it on July 1, 1999, and it’s regularly described as the oldest law blog; at least, no one seems to be able to name one that’s older that’s been continually published for as long in blog form. Cato has published it since 2013, which has greatly helped in keeping it up-to-date on the technical side and running smoothly.
Some recent stories and items at the site:
- Has the song “This Land Is Your Land” passed into the public domain? A legal challenge says it has, ironically given what Woody Guthrie said during his lifetime about copyright and property rights generally;
- “Not To Be Used as a Battle Device” on a toy Star Wars light saber, and more finalists from the Wacky Warning Labels contest;
- Plenty of coverage of current legal issues such as the AG campaign to turn climate change denial into “the new tobacco,” the expansion of Title IX into an ever more massive federal regulatory scheme, and Washington’s push for aggressive new regulations in areas like overtime pay and criminal records in hiring;
- Roundups on topics like the Supreme Court, environmental law, and schools and childhood;
- “Man pleads guilty in auto crash, then sues city alleging police siren and lights distracted him”
- And most recently, a weeklong best-of series on the amazing kinds of fraud people try to get away with in the courtroom, including invented accidents, injuries, and family relationships.
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