The overlawyered US is the richest and most powerful country on Earth by a country mile.
Thanks to the lawyers, no doubt. I am sure you didn't meant to say that if we pass some tort reform and limit some nonsense lawsuits (IP, malpractice etc) the country will lose it's wealth /power rank.
And with the rule of law comes lawyers. I know it's fashionable to hate lawyers, but they're a necessary profession.
Law is a field in which small details can have very large consequences once the full line of reasoning is unfolded. Because of the importance of exhaustively covering all lines of argument to the maximal possible depth, lawyers are required to do so.
They don't do it to bill you more. It is their legal duty.
If you don't like that lawyers are required on pain of loss of income, loss of profession and potentially loss of personal liberty to give you the fullest and most complete service that they are able to give you, then you are entitled to represent yourself.
For more examples, see: http://www.economist.com/node/21541423 - on attempts to reform tort law
http://www.economist.com/news/leaders/21571141-cheaper-legal... - on how US legal education can be reformed to reduce the cost of legal counsel
http://www.economist.com/node/18389167 - on problems with the US' patent laws
I was explaining why lawyers spend so much time minutely examining every tiny bit of a case for their clients. They have to. A lawyer who doesn't could find themselves in breach of fiduciary duty.
Also, read what I've said again. Nowhere have I said that the USA is rich and powerful because of lawyering. But neither has it stopped the USA from being so.