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From Librarian to Blogger To Successful Pro Se Litigant

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Legal News Line, 4/23/2008, story: Blogger turns attorney, defeats trial lawyer’s subpoena, by John O’Brien:

When blogger and admitted information-hoarder Kathleen Seidel received a subpoena asking for nearly every piece of data associated with her website, she had two choices — get mad or get an attorney.

Trial lawyer Clifford Shoemaker of Virginia requested in March, among other things, “documents pertaining to the setup, financing, running, research and maintaining” of her site, which frequently links to articles and features blogs pertaining to Shoemaker’s main litigation area.

Not willing to dish out the dollars for defense, Seidel filed her own motion to quash the subpoena. It was granted Monday.

“I wrote that motion on a days-long surge of adrenaline and outrage,” Seidel said. “I was served the subpoena on a Wednesday afternoon and began doing my homework Thursday morning. I filed the response on Monday afternoon… She calls her site “half-library, half-soapbox….” (continue reading the story)

Kathleen Seidel’s website, neurodiversity,

From her About Us:

“… As a student in library school many moons ago, I was encouraged by my most inspiring, most radical teachers to suspend personal ideology when selecting materials for public consumption, to trust the intelligence and judgment of the library patron, to let every voice be heard….”

Thanks to a Law-lib contributor for the story lead!

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One response to “From Librarian to Blogger To Successful Pro Se Litigant”

  1. kay sieverding says:

    Pro se litigants always lose. They never are allowed to win any damages.

    If you file in court, you can be ordered to pay the other sides attorney bills without any finding that you lied or did anything wrong. If you file in court they can get a NO PRO SE order on you and then you can be imprisoned without a criminal charge at all just for not having a lawyer.
    http://steamboatsprings.net/sites/default/files/2005/09/06/ccmn0906.pdf

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