It is not difficult to find critics of America's famously litigious society. We have more lawyers per capita than anywhere else. Critics say we are unmatched in our willingness to sue, pointing to anecdotes of frivolous suits such as a man who sued his drycleaner over a pair of pants or parents who sued a school when their son broke his leg going down a slide head first. The critics contend that the primary beneficiaries of litigation are attorneys...