In Rhode Island’s civil courts, people facing eviction, foreclosure, custody loss and other civil matters, are increasingly showing up alone, without lawyers. Across the United States, more than 75% of civil cases involve at least one self-represented litigant (SRL). In Rhode Island, that number is even higher. Yet our state...

The Due Process Clause guarantees not merely the right to file pleadings, but the right to a meaningful hearing before deprivation. The Equal Protection Clause forbids systems that are neutral in theory but discriminatory in effect. When judicial discretion operates to disadvantage one class of litigants, those without counsel, it...

At JusticeBelongsToEveryone.org, we believe stories can spark reform. The law may be written in statutes and precedents, but its impact is lived in human struggle, resilience, and courage. Theater, like the courtroom, has always been a stage where truth collides with power. A Measure of Truth is a courtroom drama...

The local judiciary is the daily proving ground for the rule of law. It is where constitutional promises become lived reality; where the public learns whether justice is a right or a privilege. When local courts operate with integrity, by listening, transparently reasoning, and deciding on the merits, they show...

The case asks the U.S. Supreme Court to review a Rhode Island Supreme Court decision that, if left standing, entrenches a dual system of justice that disadvantages self‑represented litigants and permits courts to deprive individuals of fundamental rights without notice, motion, hearing, or legal authority. The petitioner, a 73‑year‑old woman...

In this case study, the litigant/Appellant’s statements that this case is about Access to Justice made in oral argument on December 11, 2024 in the Rhode Island Supreme Court fell on deaf ears.  Access to justice is a fundamental principle ensuring all individuals can uphold their rights, resolve disputes, and prevent abuses of...