Courtroom5

Be Your Own Lawyer

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Are You At Risk of Engaging In Frivolous Litigation?

You’re expected to be engaged in frivolous litigation when you show up in court without a lawyer, especially when you’re the defendant. If you’ve ever read the small print on the back of a traffic or parking ticket, you’ve had to weigh the cost of the ticket against the cost of fighting it. I’ve seen threats of court costs as high as $500. That’s the bullying tactic cities use to force folks to pay up – guilty or not – because the courts assume your defense is frivolous.

And if you need help representing yourself in civil court, it’s time to join Courtroom5.

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Writing a Trial Notebook to Self-Represent

Most civil cases never make it to trial. The parties might settle. One party might drop out along the way and get a judgment against him. Others may simply not show up at all. For self-represented litigants, a defeat usually comes early in the case. Quite often, we don’t show up at all. So, if you’re pro se, and you’re going to trial, congratulations. You’ve jumped a lot of hurdles to make it here.
So now, let’s get to that trial notebook.

And if you need help representing yourself in civil court, it’s time to join Courtroom5.

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Defending Yourself In A Debt Collection Case

At a time when so many businesses have ground to a halt due to COVID-19, you can expect mounds of debt and a plethora of debt collectors looking to get paid when all of it is “over”. We all know that it will be some time before the economy fully recovers from the pandemic – if it ever does. Yet, that won’t stop companies like Capital One and others from continuing their practice of regularly taking their customers to court. When they come, be ready for them.

And if you need help representing yourself in civil court, it’s time to join Courtroom5.

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Anne Leduc: I Am Not A Lawyer

In this episode of I Am Not A Lawyer, the Courtroom5 podcast, Anne Leduc shares her experience fighting a harassment and discrimination claim filed by a former employee of her small business. Representing yourself is difficult even when you’re at your best, but it gets really tough when you’re also fighting a life-threatening illness. Anne Leduc has done that at Courtroom5.

And if you need help representing yourself in civil court, it’s time to join Courtroom5.

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#BlackLivesMatter = #DefundThePolice

For Black lives to matter in the United States, we must defund the police. These are two sides of the same coin. For centuries, police forces have been used to wage war on Black communities, one capture of a runaway slave and one traffic stop at a time. It’s systemic. It’s institutional. It must come to an end.

And if you need help representing yourself in civil court, it’s time to join Courtroom5.

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Preparing For An Evidentiary Hearing

An evidentiary hearing is an opportunity to introduce crucial evidence or question evidence produced by the opposition. As a self-represented litigant, you should conceive of an evidentiary hearing as an athletic semi-final. This hearing could send your best facts to the playoffs and potentially produce a win.

And if you need help representing yourself in civil court, it’s time to join Courtroom5.

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Debra Slone: I Am Not A Lawyer

In this episode of I Am Not A Lawyer, the Courtroom5 podcast, our co-founder Debra Slone shares her transformation from college professor to founder of a tech startup serving pro se litigants. Debra learned the ropes of civil justice by winning and losing in court many times. Then she decided to use her knowledge of information science to train other pro se litigants at Courtroom5. When there’s something you need to know, ask a librarian.

And if you need help representing yourself in civil court, it’s time to join Courtroom5.

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“Turning Over The Keys Is My Best Foreclosure Option” And Other Litigation Myths

Myths and uncertainty about the litigation process can be detrimental to parties involved in a lawsuit, especially those representing themselves. Reliance on myths, in fact, can lead to wasted time, avoidable losses and other headaches. The best cure for uncertainty is information, and the best cure for myths is truth. So, here is my list of myths that self-represented litigants should be aware of and the truths that dispel them.

And if you need help representing yourself in civil court, it’s time to join Courtroom5.

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What Won’t You Do To Fight Eviction In A Pandemic?

Visit your local eviction court to see the judicial system chew people up and spit them out. It’s a battle between property owners and those who can’t afford shelter. No legal knowledge or training is needed to see the essential injustice in this process. But the rules of an unjust system are made to be broken.

And if you need help representing yourself in civil court, it’s time to join Courtroom5.