Chief Justice Chase Rogers has put the issue squarely and succinctly: pro se litigants "clog up the court system. Cases are delayed and lengthened, creating frustration for everybody… Litigants with lawyers are better represented in court, which makes this a significant access issue. Access to justice and to our courts simply should not be a privilege offered to some, but a basic right available to all."
Few would argue with our Chief Justice. The statistics are stark and compelling. Some 85 percent of Connecticut’s family cases have at least one self-represented party. Overall, in the five years between 2006 and 2011, the number of civil cases having at least one self-represented party has grown from 19 percent to 28 percent. There are no signs that this percentage growth will decrease. That this is a national trend is little comfort to Connecticut’s legal profession. In New York, a recent survey revealed that trial judges overwhelmingly believe that pro se litigants are unable to properly present facts as admissible evidence and, not surprisingly, that pro se litigants have a lack of knowledge about the law. There is little doubt that a similar survey of Connecticut’s judiciary would yield similar results.
