Lawyer who argued, won PASPA case before US Supreme Court dies at 84

Theodore “Ted” Olson, the lawyer who successfully argued Murphy v. National Collegiate Athletic Association in front of the United States Supreme Court, thereby overturning the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) and paving the way for states to make their own determination on the matter of sports betting, has died.

His death was announced by his law firm, Gibson Dunn. Olson was 84.

“Ted was a titan of the legal profession and one of the most extraordinary and eloquent advocates of our time,” Barbara Becker, chair and managing partner of Gibson Dunn, said in a release. “He was creative, principled, and fearless — a trailblazing advocate who cared about all people. We mourn his loss profoundly and send our condolences to his wife Lady, a cherished member of our firm family, and to all of Ted’s loved ones.”

While Olson handled many high-profile cases in his storied career, to a generation of sports bettors he is the man who carried the ball across the legal goal line in overturning PASPA.

“The one advantage that we had was we had Ted Olson,” former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said on the Gamble On podcast last year. “The best living Supreme Court advocate. He has won 78% of his cases that he argued before the Supreme Court. And no one has argued more cases before the Supreme Court.”

‘We got the best Supreme Court advocate’

Christie was governor in New Jersey when the state voters — by a 2-to-1 margin — voted to legalise wagering in 2011. A federal injunction was slapped on the state, prohibiting sports betting — due to PASPA.

“I called Ted immediately, and thought the leagues had already locked him up,” Christie recalled. “I told him the situation, asked him if he was conflicted. And he said no. And I was I like, ‘Yes!’ We got the best Supreme Court advocate.”

Once that happened, Christie said he put the odds of an eventual victory at +150.

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