Courtroom5

Be Your Own Lawyer

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What Do You Know About Extraordinary Writs?

The last petition for writ of certiorari I wrote was regarding a judge who refused to recuse herself after making biased statements in open court. A petition for writ of certiorari begins an interlocutory appeal. That is, it asks an appellate court to review a judge’s order in the middle of a case. Like other writs, the petition for writ of certiorari is not for the faint of heart. It’s one of a group of legal documents called extraordinary writs, and they are all hard to get.

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

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Damages In A Civil Case

You’ve been injured in some way – loss of a job, an illegal foreclosure, a car wreck – and you’re going to sue for money damages. You could lose even with a judgment in your favor if you get the damages wrong. Learn to plead your damages properly.

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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The Motion In Limine Is One Way To Suppress Your Oops

You took on your civil case without a lawyer. Despite being nervous and angry, you persevered. You made it through the complaint, answer, and discovery stages against two lawyers. You survived multiple hearings in front of a hard-nosed judge. You’re proud of yourself. Then, a lawyer presses his finger on the one incident in your background that severely weakens your case. Uh oh. What do you do? Consider a motion in limine. It’s one way to suppress or explain your oops.

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

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Courtroom5 Selected For Techstars Kansas City 2020

Courtroom5 has been selected as one of 10 startups in the 2020 Techstars Kansas City Accelerator, a mentor-based program for startups. This year, the three-month program runs from June 1st until August 27th. The 10 chosen companies come from across the U.S. and around the world, and hail from a diversity of industries, including food, health, legal, prosthetics, and music.

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Hearsay Doesn’t Count—Until It Does

In a nutshell, hearsay is “he said, she said” testimony. It is second hand information during a court proceeding that courts don’t allow. That’s the level on which most people understand it.

But when you’re a pro se litigant in the thick of a case, and the attorney for the other side uses hearsay testimony against you, that’s a whole new world. How can that lawyer get away with it when everyone knows hearsay is not allowed? Outrageous. Yes and no.

There are hearsay exceptions.

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

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What Is The Burden Of Proof In A Civil Case?

Evidence is the beating heart of any legal case, whether civil or criminal. It can pump life-giving blood into a legal argument or be anemic and fail in its purpose. The burden of proof determines whether evidence feeds an argument or starves it. To prepare for court, self-represented litigants must assemble evidence that can bear the weight of their claims or defenses.

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.