If you’ve ever found yourself putting off the work your case requires because making yourself sit down alone with a stack of tedious or difficult documents is hard or even triggering, please know you are not unusual and you are not alone. I created Court Cafe precisely because your experience is normal and, as it turns out, gathering with others who are doing the same thing can help.

What Court Cafe Is

Court Cafe is a free, weekly one-hour Zoom session where pro se litigants show up, open their files, and work. There is no instruction, no agenda, no Q&A, and no pressure. It is simply a dedicated hour, held at the same time every week, in the company of others who are navigating the same terrain you are.

The concept is grounded in a well-documented productivity technique called “body doubling” — the practice of working alongside others, even virtually. Research and practice (and my own lived experience!) have consistently shown that many people find it significantly easier to begin and sustain focused work when others are present. The isolation of handling your own legal case is real, and it has consequences. Court Cafe addresses both at once.

Why I Created It

After nearly two decades of working with self-represented litigants, I’ve seen the same pattern more times than I can count. People who are intelligent, motivated, and more than capable of handling their own cases fall behind because they can’t find the traction to sit down and do the work consistently. Life intervenes. Anxiety or even panic intervenes. The sheer weight of what the documents represent intervenes.

Court Cafe is my answer to that. It costs nothing, it asks nothing of you beyond showing up, but it gives you a lot: a virtual room full of people who understand, working alongside you.

What to Expect

You register once. You receive the Zoom link in a weekly reminder. You come when you can and skip when you can’t — there is no attendance taken and no commitment required. Camera is always optional. You work on whatever your case needs that week: a motion you’ve been putting off, evidence you need to organize, a transcript you need to review, a timeline you need to build.

At the end of the hour, you will have accomplished something. Early accomplishments can build momentum that, together with a feeling of connection to a community, can lead to more effective persuasion when your day in court arrives.

Who Court Cafe Is For

Court Cafe is open to any pro se litigant, but it was designed especially with domestic violence survivors navigating family court in mind — people who are often managing the demands of their case while also managing the demands of everything else that comes with their situation. If that is you, you are welcome here. You belong in that courtroom, and Court Cafe is one more way to make sure you’re ready when you get there.

Court Cafe meets every Monday at 8:00 PM ET. Registration is free and takes less than a minute.

Learn More and Register for Court Cafe →

Court Cafe is a free public service of LawYou America. It is not a coaching or legal advice session and does not create any professional relationship.