Pursuing Justice Foundation, Inc.
a §501(c)(3) tax exempt nonprofit corporation
Assisting self-represented litigants with the educational and monetary support they need to present their cases effectively and create meaningful records.
Our Work
As the charitable arm of LawYou America, Pursuing Justice Foundation provides the education and expense assistance that is vital to bridging the legal representation gap.
The representation gap is the space between people who can afford to pay for full legal representation and people of modest means who qualify for free legal aid. Those who find themselves in the representation gap often have no choice other than to handle litigation on their own.
LawYou has shown us that, with effective coaching, most nonlawyers are capable of representing themselves in court. That’s a big step forward in pursuit of justice, but there’s another hurdle in the path to clear.
Self-represented litigants often are disadvantaged when prices for depositions, or any of the other myriad expenses necessary to the litigation process, prove to be prohibitive. This deepens the disparity between the self-represented and those parties that benefit from the resources of law firms or legal aid.
By providing guidance and essential expense assistance, the Foundation boosts nonlawyers’ opportunities to present their cases effectively, which in turn brings greater overall equity into the courts.
Financial resources are critical for:
- obtaining guidance and education
- conducting investigations
- developing evidentiary foundations
- filing pleadings
- duplicating documents
- paying mediator fees
- securing the services of court reporters
- creating demonstrative aids for hearings and trials
- initiating appeals
That last one, initiating appeals, is of the utmost importance. The opportunity to seek appellate review of incorrect trial-level rulings is essential to obtaining full and equal justice. But that review is unavailable where trial-level records are inadequate. The Foundation’s assistance can make all the difference in whether the self-represented litigant is able to create a record that will sustain an appeal.
How You Can Help
Donate. Since our main purpose is to provide funds for litigation expenses, monetary donations top our wish list.
If you’re a legal support service provider, become a Preferred Vendor. Preferred Vendors are committed to working with self-represented litigants, and agree to discount their services for Foundation clients. They receive a free listing on their state’s resource page on LawYou, and are thanked and promoted on this site and on social media.
Share information and posts in conversations, emails, and on social media. Because a portion of all LawYou proceeds are donated to this foundation, any help you give to LawYou also helps Pursuing Justice.
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