Legal Question in Civil Rights Law in Missouri

I have been looking for a lawyer, to represent me, but know one wants to help. So I have decided to represent myself, pro se. What are some of the first and most imporant things to do to get started?


Asked on 1/20/10, 1:47 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys

Anthony Smith LawSmith

first realize that you have what Abraham Lijncoln says is "fool for a client" From waht you described, you were unsuccessful in convincing an attorney that you have a case worth pursuing on a contingnet fee basis. You wer also unsucdcessful in convincing yourself that your case is worthy enough to pay and attorney an hourly rate to represent you, (even if it meant selling some of your stuff). It is unclear from the lack of facts that you provided why you believe you would be any more successsful in convincing a judge or jury that your case has merit.

If you are determined to litigate on your own, then you must determine where yoru case is to occur; state court, federal court of an administrative agency. Many civil rights cases (meaning you are suing a governmental body) require that you exhasut yrou adminstrative remedies before yu can fiel suit. Then you msu tdetermine who your defendnat(s) or respondent(s) should be.

You must determine what causes of action you can bring in the particular forum you choose. someitmes if you do nto make all yrou clima initially, you lose the ones you could have brought sooner. Then you will need to determine what causes you can bring . Nealry all claims have a statutory period in which to bring such claims (commonly referred to as the statutes of limitation)

Once you determine what causes you can and should bring, and who you should bring them against, you need to prepare a complaint or Petition. There are varying requirments as to what these must contain based upon waht claim and in what forum. nearly all have a fee to bring the action and to serve Notice of the other parties. Someitmes you can get soem of this waived if you are indigent.

We use the American sytem here which imeand that unless there is a contract or statute that ways otherwise, everyone pays their own attorney fees. You paln to hav enoe, so you will nto get fees if you win. But, some statutory claims allow for the winner to get theri fees reimburse dby the other side. That means that if you faitl to prove yrou claim, you might owe thousands in legal fees to whatever governmental body you sue.

Good luck

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Answered on 1/25/10, 6:50 pm


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