The “Solo Practitioner”: Pro Se Litigants and Their Obstacles to Justice
A panel discussion hosted by the Fordham Law Review
On January 25th, I will be speaking about pro se litigation at the Fordham Law Review Symposium. My esteemed co-panelists will include: Judge James C. Francis, a federal Magistrate for the Southern District of New York; Law Professor Brett Dignam, who operates the Prison Legal Services Clinic at Columbia Law School; Professor Michael Martin, who teaches the Federal Litigation Clinic at Fordham Law School; and attorney Gray Proctor, a staff attorney for the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.
As the Fordham Law website notes: “The topic of pro se litigation has attracted substantial attention in recent years, as the number of pro se petitions has increased. Courts continue to grapple with how to address the overwhelming number of pro se filings, but no clear answers have emerged.”
I cannot say that I have all the answers, or even many, but I do have a few—born from experience—on how legislation, the courts and members of the bar can clear away some of the obstacles facing pro se litigants.
The event is free, open to the public and will run from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. For members of the New York bar, two CLE credits can be purchased for $65 (or $55 for Fordham Law alumni and public interest attorneys).
If you are in NYC, please come out, I would love to meet you.