Going down

I see it almost everyday.  People coming into the law library DESPERATE for legal help. They're so desperate that they'll listen to anyone who wears a tie or gives them the time of day.  Take, for instance, the guy who was here the other day.  Seems guy had to file a complaint.  The judge tells him that even if the defendant never answers that his complaint, the complaint is so screwed up (i.e. full of errors) that there is no way he'll grant a default judgment.  Judge suggests he go to the law library and get help to file a motion to amend his complaint.

Days later, guy girds up his loins and makes the trek to the county law library where he finds me and I show him California Forms of Pleading and Practice as it relates to Amended and Supplemental Pleadings.  Guy finds the motion to amend his complaint and he's off and running.  NOT FIVE MINUTES pass and I see guy yakking with a legal assistant (i.e. not a paralegal) who was trolling for clients.  Guy dumps the motion stuff (i.e. the stuff the judge told him to get).

Bottom line, I guess the old adage that if you don't know where you're going, any road will get you there applies.  If you don't know where to go, or what to get, know that your local county law librarian does - because we do this legal stuff all day, day after day, day in and day out so that when you need to know what we know we know where to go and how to get you there.