“WLF lost a special friend. He was very giving of his time and his expertise over the past four decades, and was an eloquent and committed defender of freedom and free enterprise.”
—Glenn G. Lammi, Executive Director &
Vice President of Legal Studies
Washington Legal Foundation is deeply saddened by the passing of Theodore B. Olson on November 13, 2024.
Ted was a member of WLF’s volunteer Legal Policy Advisory Board for 31 years beginning in 1989. He returned to the board after a leave of absence from 2000 to 2004 to serve as Solicitor General of the United States.
Ted authored numerous WLF publications during his private practice at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, most notably a 1991 Monograph with Gibson Dunn partner Theodore J. Boutrous, Jr., “How to Fight Punitive Damages in Court,” which made the case for due-process arguments against excessive punitive damages, an approach that the Supreme Court later embraced in decisions. He also frequently participated in WLF Media Briefings on the U.S. Supreme Court.
The firm at which Ted spent nearly his entire 60-year career has posted a moving In Memoriam, available here.