No Break For Pro se Litigant

The Arkansas Court of Appeals affirmed a sanction award against a pro se plaintiff who had sued her former attorney for malpractice. The plaintiff had simply refiled the lawsuit after it had been dismissed on the merits and the dismissal had been affirmed on appeal. The court concluded that pro se litigants who engage in frivolous litigation are not entitled to special benefits because of their non-lawyer status. Although the doctrine of res judicata may be unfamiliar to a layperson, one who proceeds without counsel does so at their own peril. (Mike Frisch)