This is a Case Study of a personal journey as a self-represented litigant in the Rhode Island judiciary.  It began with membership in a nationally known club for public speakers, Toastmasters International. After damage was done to her values and reputation within the organization at one club’s location in Westerly, Rhode Island, she hired a lawyer in hopes of repairing her reputation. They assisted her in filing a lawsuit against several other club members and the Toastmasters organization. Two years later, after a disagreement about strategy, her legal counsel abandoned her, at which point she was forced, like so many, to continue as a self-represented litigant. What started out to be a relatively small matter turned into eight years of litigation. Subjected to disrespect and confusion sowed by opposing counsel and within the judiciary; a biased process that led to an unfair outcome. This unfair outcome was appealed to the Rhode Island Supreme Court. After the Rhode Island Supreme Court affirmed the decision by the lower court, with a decision that violated constitutional rights, a Petition for Writ of Certiorari to the United States Supreme Court was filed, to expose a larger crisis: a systemic failure in the state’s judiciary: the persistent and unequal treatment of self-represented litigants (SRLs). A legal system where unfair decisions are made on a daily basis when one party is represented by counsel and the other party is Self-represented. Justice is not a privilege for the few who can afford lawyers. Justice is a constitutional right promised to all, not just those represented by lawyers. The Petition calls on the highest Court for reform. The details can be found in the Petition for Writ of Certiorari at the Supreme Court of the United States.  

Faced with procedural manipulation and what appeared to be judicial bias, This Self-represented litigant, chose to stand up, not just for herself, but for the thousands of Americans navigating courtrooms alone, especially those in the state of Rhode Island who are currently being misled and deceived that the judiciary cares about Self-represented litigants, which they state on their website, and in news stories promoting the Rhode Island Office of Access to Justice, claiming adequate oversight for the issues that arise for Self-represented litigants. However, the care they promote falls very short of what other states provide, and is likely why a Self-represented person in the state of Rhode Island will never get a fair chance without a lawyer when the opposing party is represented, and it is why reform is desperately needed. The Petition to the Supreme Court of the United States isn’t just about one case, it exposes a larger crisis: a legal system where access often depends on privilege, and in case after case where one party is Self-represented against a party represented by a lawyer, unfair decisions are made everyday.