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Courts and Bar not pro pro se

The authors failed to or overlooked the fact that pro se litigants are rarely if ever compensated for the time they spent on a winning claim, unlike Bar-licensed attorneys who reap hundreds of dollars an hour in litigation fees and penalties (“The Pro Se Dilemma: Washington Courts and Vexatious Pro Se Litigation — January 2009 Bar News). There is a cost for being Bar certified and it’s called the RPCs. It should be pointed out that many attorneys who violate the RPCs are never reported to the Bar and that those that are often take years to be poorly investigated and disciplined after they have wrecked more havoc in the meanwhile.

I would have wished that they had emphasized that the Courts are for all citizens, not just attorneys and that the dizzying Court rules, outrageous filing fees, RCWs, and paperwork mazes are already in place to discourage citizens from seeking the right of redress. All of which should be simplified so that citizens do not have to be dependent upon a member of the Bar to represent themselves as per our Constitution provides.

They also fail to address the vexatious non-pro se litigation perpetrated by their fellow attorneys, which are by far the more prevalent abuse of the legal system we all subscribe to and is what probably is providing the authors employment.

 Marshall Smith, Lt. Col., USMCR (Ret.)