Ask a Judge: What is Pro Se?

Civics 101

NHPR

History, Government, Society & Culture

4.2 • 2.6K Ratings

🗓️ 28 April 2026

⏱️ 26 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

What is the process when a person wishes to represent themselves in court? How common is it? Is it true that a person who represents themselves "has a fool for a client?" Today in our "Ask a Judge" series, attorney and magistrate Amy Lin Meyerson and "small town lawyer" Ray Williams give tips for those who have no choice but to address the court on their own behalf. Here is the American Bar Association's virtual legal advice clinic (staffed by human legal minds, not AI!): https://abafreelegalanswers.org/ DONATE TO THE PODCAST HERE! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	legal precedent, Your Honor, going back to 1789, whereby a defendant can't claim self-defense
0:06.3	against an agent of the government if that act is deemed a defense against tyranny, a defense of liberty,
0:11.5	Your Honor. Henry Ward Beecher in Proverbs from the Plymouth Pulpit, 1887, said it, and I quote,
0:16.8	excuse me, excuse me, it's going to make a mockery of the court. I am afforded the right to speak in my own defense, sir. You're listening to Civics 101. I'm Nick Capadice. I'm Hannah McCarthy. And today in our not yet a series, but I hope it becomes a series, Ask a Judge. We are going to talk about pro se. You have a theme song yet? I don't, I don't, but I'm going to work on one, I promise.
0:40.8	So stick around, pro se coming right up.
0:47.0	Where the hell am I?
0:49.3	It's a fighting tournament to the death.
0:52.2	It's called Mortal Kombat for a reason.
0:55.9	The tournament begins.
0:58.3	Johnny Kaye.
0:59.6	You have been chosen to fight.
1:01.7	Coming or what?
1:02.8	I'm an actor.
1:03.7	I can't do this.
1:05.4	You're fighting for the fate of our world.
1:08.5	Get over here!
1:11.5	Mortal Kombat 2.
1:12.8	In Cinemas May 8.
1:14.0	Book tickets now.
1:15.1	It's show time.
1:17.2	All right, Hannah.
1:18.3	Today we're talking about one of the scariest seeming things you can do.
	...

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