Legal Question in Civil Litigation in California

Judges sometimes make mistakes and it sounds like this one did this time. Under the State Bar Act you would be practicing law without a license if you represent your business partner or anyone else in a court proceeding. So there is no such paper you could file to allow that.

I agree with Mr. McCormick. You cannot represent someone else in court unless you are a licensed attorney. The judge should have known that.

Mr. McCormick and Mr. Roach are right that you can't represent your partner (unless you happen to be a lawyer), but I'm not sure that's what you meant. The question says the lawsuit is against you, not against your partner. If your partner isn't a defendant, speaking on his behalf might not amount to representing him. But it's not clear what your role would be -- or even what his would be if he spoke up for himself. Without more information, I can't give you a meaningful answer.