The Pro Se Trap
Thousands of DC residents face eviction, debt collection, and family law disputes every year without legal representation. They are "Pro Se" litigants, and the system is designed to crush them.
Barriers to Justice
- Complex Jargon: Forms and procedures are written in archaic legalese that non-lawyers cannot understand.
- Judicial Impatience: Judges often scold pro se litigants for not knowing the rules of evidence, rather than ensuring a fair hearing.
- Opposing Counsel: Landlords and debt collectors always have lawyers who exploit procedural technicalities to win by default.
Did You Know? In DC Landlord-Tenant Court, over 90% of landlords have lawyers,
while less than 10% of tenants do.