“New App Lets You ‘Sue Anyone By Pressing a Button'”

The developer of Do Not Pay, a free app for fighting parking tickets, has now turned his attention to small claims court [Caroline Haskins, Motherboard]:

The app works by having a bot ask the user a few basic questions about their legal issue. The bot then uses the answers to classify the case into one of 15 different legal areas, such as breach of contract or negligence. After that, Do Not Pay draws up documents specific to that legal area, and fills in the specific details. Just print it out, mail it to the courthouse, and voilá — you’re a plaintiff. And if you have to show up to court in person, Do Not Pay even creates a script for the plaintiff to read out loud in court.

Filed under: access to justice, lawyers

October 25 roundup

And she’s a psychology professor too: “Pro se litigant of the day” [ATL]
“Access to justice” makes handy slogan, but has its limits re: appeal bonds [Ted at PoL]
New Federalist Society white papers on Michigan, Illinois, California and Alabama supreme courts;
Per her opponent this year, CPSIA proponent and perennial Overlawyered bete noire Jan Schakowsky ranks as most left-wing member of Congress [ExtremeJan.com]
Naming opportunity at Faulkner U.’s Jones School of Law falls to Greg Jones of Beasley Allen [BA press release]
Lockyer pushes divestment of firms for taking wrong stance on ballot controversy [Coyote]
“Patent marking” suits continue to proliferate as Reps. Latta, Issa propose measures to curb opportunistic filings [Gray on Claims]
“South Carolina tobacco fees: how to farm money” [ten years ago on Overlawyered]

Filed under: access to justice, Alabama, Bill Lockyer, California, Federalist Society, Illinois, Jan Schakowsky, Michigan, patent marking, pro se, South Carolina, state high courts

And then went back to “access to justice” chatter

Lawyers in a class action seek a high appeal bond to insulate their fee award. [CCAF]

Filed under: access to justice, attorneys' fees, class actions

U.K.: “‘Barmy’ legal aid for failed asylum seeker”

Your job is just to get in, we’ll provide the free lawyers once you do: “A decision to give legal aid to a failed asylum seeker and fraudster has been described as ‘barmy’. Zimbabwean Quentin Chapingidza was granted legal aid after he was charged with falsely claiming £23,500 in student loans from Harrow Council in north west London for a three-year computer course. His loan application included a fake Home Office letter claiming he had indefinite leave to remain in the UK.” [Independent]

Filed under: access to justice, asylum law, United Kingdom