I was born and grew up in America, I have traveled extensively both domestically and abroad, living the majority of my adult life in New York and California.
I never had an interest in studying law or taking part in it in any way, but in America over the past few decades we have become more and more litigious, and I have found it necessary to both learn and participate in our legal system.
I began learning about our federal court system in July, 2009. I had what I thought was a simple, sure-to-win housing discrimination case, but as I looked for a lawyer to represent me, each attorney turned down my case. With each “no” I asked why. Was the case strong enough to take it to court (did it have “Standing)? The case did have Standing. Was there still time to file it? Yes (it was within the Statute of Limitations). After many lawyers declining to take my case, I determined I must represent myself.
I filed my case in the Pro Se Office of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York (SDNY) on July 9, 2009. The clerk stamped the date and time on my copy of the Complaint and handed it to me along with a 3-inch- thick manual for Pro Se Litigants. This was the beginning of my experience with the US Federal Court System.
That manual guided me through each step of the process, laying out everything I needed to file, and what the law outlined so I could represent myself. It was like studying in an accelerated law program. I saw my case through the District and Appellate Courts. In May 2014, my Writ of Certiorari received a docket number to be addressed by SCOTUS the following October. This was what launched me into research on the Judicial Branch history, policies, and makeup of our highest Court for the next 10 years.