Comments on: Tough economy leaves more Americans acting as their own lawyers http://blog.lawinfo.com/2008/11/27/tough-economy-results-in-more-americans-acting-as-their-own-lawyers/ Lawyer Blog | Attorney Blog | Read and Post Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:47:12 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Christopher Largay, Esq. http://blog.lawinfo.com/2008/11/27/tough-economy-results-in-more-americans-acting-as-their-own-lawyers/comment-page-1/#comment-3604 Christopher Largay, Esq. Fri, 28 Nov 2008 13:47:32 +0000 http://blog.lawinfo.com/?p=3808#comment-3604 As a trial attorney in the Maine trenches, it is imperative that national, state and local bar associations lead the charge in assisting pro-se's with basic legal matters. Why we aren't setting up Kiosks in the District Courts w/ basic information and forms is unclear to me. We can withdraw $$$ from an ATM in most stores and every mall? There is another negative consequence to pro se's in complex matters. A little knowledge is dangerous. Courts still give pro se parties more latitude and excuse-forgiving measures that often require innocent civil defendants to pay big bucks to good lawyers just to extricate themselves from frivolous lawsuits and to clear public records (like so-called 'liens' that get recorded in the registries of deeds, inter alia) that clog the system and occupy our Clerks. When the public understands there is a consequence for all, and the bar associations step up to the plate with that acknowledgement, we'll all be better-served. As a trial attorney in the Maine trenches, it is imperative that national, state and local bar associations lead the charge in assisting pro-se’s with basic legal matters. Why we aren’t setting up Kiosks in the District Courts w/ basic information and forms is unclear to me. We can withdraw $$$ from an ATM in most stores and every mall?

There is another negative consequence to pro se’s in complex matters. A little knowledge is dangerous. Courts still give pro se parties more latitude and excuse-forgiving measures that often require innocent civil defendants to pay big bucks to good lawyers just to extricate themselves from frivolous lawsuits and to clear public records (like so-called ‘liens’ that get recorded in the registries of deeds, inter alia) that clog the system and occupy our Clerks.

When the public understands there is a consequence for all, and the bar associations step up to the plate with that acknowledgement, we’ll all be better-served.

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