How LawYou Got Its Start

by Sherri L. Renner, J.D. Last updated March 2021. Originally published January 2015. Sometime back in 2007, I was driving somewhere in Palm Beach County, Florida, with the radio on when I heard it again: a public service announcement from Urban Youth Impact about some event the organization would be holding. It caught my attention […]
Pro Se Litigant in Action

Pro Se Litigant in Action by Sherri L. Renner, J.D. Original publication date: Sept. 20, 2012 Witnessing a Pro Se Litigant in Action I just finished up at a hearing in court. While I was sitting in the courtroom waiting for my case to be called, I observed another motion hearing. The motion heard just […]
Should I Convince the Judge my Ex is a Narcissist?

Question I just listened to your interview posted from the WNAAD event. Thank you. It seems you suggest that litigants shouldn’t draw attention to the cluster b disorder, but bring up behavior facts. I understand that now, and although I have never called him any names or referred to him in public or even among […]
From Terror to Triumph: How Jenna Overcame Her Anxiety and Won in Family Court

Jenna* had been embroiled in litigation with her ex-husband for years. Every so often he would bring some trivial matter to the court, painting Jenna as a bad parent, and always keeping her on edge. This time, Jenna’s ex had filed a motion, complaining that Jenna was making decisions about their children’s after-school activities without […]
Tenants Defending Eviction Actions Must Pay Money … and Attention
Among the more common legal issues that people handle on their own without an attorney are those involving relationships between landlords and tenants. Landlords don’t always keep their promises or comply with various laws concerning maintaining the properties they rent to tenants, and tenants don’t always keep their promises to pay rent and keep the […]
Librarians Help Pro Se Litigants Every Day
Librarians are among the few professionals who are on the front lines helping people who represent themselves in court. When I decide to do some legal research in a law library, I first think about going to the local courthouse. If the local courthouse doesn’t have a law library (not all of them do because […]
Law Libraries in Florida
That’s right. We compiled a list of all the law libraries that are open to the public throughout the state of Florida, and created a table with links to the library websites. We also included links to the local courts, just because we thought you might find that info handy, too. If you want to […]
C.R.’s Story of Legal Abuse

One day many years ago, C.R. met a handsome and charming man. That’s right – her nightmare began, as they often do, as a dream. You know the story: They were young and beautiful and he swept her off her feet with fireworks and dizzying chemistry. He lavished her with romance until C.R. felt loved […]