Notable Blog Posts For Pro Se Litigants — The 2020 Edition

No doubt, 2020 has been a roller coaster. But, it doesn’t do this year justice to merely state that there have been challenges. From the pandemic to widespread protests and a contested election, 2020 has offered almost an overabundance of “interesting” things.

Fortunately, we have tried to keep you up to date along the way with blog posts that discuss pertinent legal issues. If you find yourself here at the end of the year, take the time to review some of our most notable blog posts for the year 2020.

Highest Listenership

We started an informational podcast series this year called “I Am Not a Lawyer”. The episode with Brian Vukadinovich received the highest number of user comments.

Brian Vukadinovich: I Am Not A Lawyer

If you don’t already know about Brian, here’s a little primer. Brian sued an Indiana school board in 2013 for refusing to renew his teaching contract. His case ended up in federal court. Brian represented himself and prevailed. Brian shows how powerful a knowledgeable, well-prepared pro se litigant can be.

Post that Best Exemplifies the Year

The year 2020 made Coronavirus and social angst a part of life. See how these two subjects exemplify the year and in some way impacted the courts.

How Coronavirus Could Impact Your Case

“The economic impact of the coronavirus, COVID-19, on regular people is far-reaching. Restaurants are closed. Grocery shelves are bare. Flights are canceled, and streets are empty because people are staying home. Such a scenario is bound to impact the courts and, in turn, you.”

Runner up: #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.”

Biggest Self-Aggrandizement

Everyone deserves an opportunity to toot their own horn. Courtroom5 has made great strides this year and garnered a lot of national attention. So, beep beep.

Courtroom5’s Sonja Ebron To Serve On Legal Services Corporation’s Leaders Council

Courtroom5’s CEO Sonja Ebron has been selected by the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) to serve on the Leaders Council. The LSC assists low-income Americans by providing civil legal aid. The Leaders Council helps raise public awareness about the civil legal aid crisis and the importance of ensuring equal justice for all Americans.

Runner up: Courtroom5 Awarded Google Startup Funding

In October of 2020, Courtroom5 was selected by Google to receive $50,000 in startup funding. Courtroom5 was one of 76 awardees included in the announcement by Google CEO Sundar Pichai.tup Funding

Runner up: Courtroom5 Selected For Techstars Kansas City 2020

The 2020 Techstars Kansas City Accelerator program chose Courtroom5 as one of 10 startups to participate in a mentor-based program. This program ran for a three-month period from June 1st to August 27th.

Best Clickbait

Clickbait includes content and pictures that immediately attract attention. See how we made the best of clickbait while dispersing important informational content during 2020.

The Crackheads And Extortionists Who Sell State Laws

“Imagine you’ve been sued for foreclosure, failure to pay a debt, or eviction. Or you must sue for custody of your children or grandchildren. You’re in danger of losing important things. You can’t afford a lawyer, but you can represent yourself. To have a fighting chance, you need free and easy access to laws. Then, in walks the state to charge you for access to the laws you need. Your chances of winning, which weren’t good to begin with, are greatly reduced by a state that is acting like a crackhead and extortionist.”

Top “How-To” Post

Our “how-to” posts explain ways to perform case related tasks. See which post proved to be the most beneficial in that regard.

Writing a Trial Notebook to Self-Represent

“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.”

Runner up: Pointers for Trial Preparation And Evidence Presentation

It’s showtime. You have spent months, maybe even years, working towards this moment. How do you present your evidence? There are rules, processes, and procedures for trials. Use these guidelines to make your best attempt to get your evidence heard.

Top Strategy Post

Here, we give an award to the post that provides the most assistance to pro se litigants in terms of strategic planning. In a sense, these posts will help you understand how to think like a lawyer.

10 Reasons Why You Should Appeal A Grant of Summary Judgment

“Stop. Don’t let your case end this way. Summary judgment is a big hairy monster lurking in the dark ready to jump out and destroy your case. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a plaintiff or defendant. A grant of summary judgment against you means the other side wins. That’s it. That’s the end of your case – unless you do something about it. Here are ten reasons why you should appeal a grant of summary judgment.”

Runner up: 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.”

Runner up: The Motion In Limine Is One Way To Suppress Your Oops

Let’s face it, no one is perfect. We all have things in our past that might reflect poorly on us in litigation. What happens if an opposing party uses one of these incidents against you in court? You might think that it would totally derail your case. In this situation, a motion in limine can be an important asset. See how you can use this type of motion to keep certain information from the jury’s watchful eyes.

Post of the Year

With all we’ve covered in 2020, this decision was a hard one. Still, every year one post stands out. Sometimes it’s the one that requires the most research or the one that delivers a huge “how-to” benefit. This year’s top post garnered more comments by far than any of the other posts and was well-received on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Further, it exemplifies the kind of year 2020 has turned out to be.

More Judges, More Justice: 5 Reasons Why We Need Expanded Courts

Did you know that as a self-represented litigant you cannot appear in front of the U.S. Supreme Court? Does this sound kind of unfair? We agree. The right to self-representation is guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution. Yet, what good is this right if there aren’t enough judges to address the needs of citizens? Judicial barriers to hearings are making it difficult for pro se litigants to assert their rights. Take a look at the five reasons why the court system needs to be expanded.

Yes, 2020 was a great year for blogging. The unstoppable flow of current events provided us with numerous topics to discuss. We were also able to compile a copious amount of legal information to help pro se litigants across the nation. Stay with us to see what 2021 brings. Happy New Year!

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