American Litigiousness: Historical sources and reform efforts

Thousands of lawsuits are discussed in courts in the United States every day, and
there is a tremendous quantity of lawyers per capita. (Olson, Excerpt 1) Since other
advanced democracies around the world cannot compete with such high numbers, experts,
advocates, and ordinary people ask if there has been a litigation explosion, apparently leading
to higher cost for society, and damaging the reputation of the American legal system and its
participants. Many causes have been named such as greedy attorneys, whiny plaintiffs, and
lavish insurance businesses. The following paper will discuss how the United States has
become litigious and strongly refers to Thomas F. Burke’s book Lawyers, Lawsuits, and
Legal Rights, which gives structural explanations and case studies. Furthermore, the essay
will examine how reasonable Burke argues, and look into reform possibilities and the
progress made.